Avatar: The Blind Dragon
by Chinese Irishman
Summary: Begins a few weeks after Korra series finale. Aang comes across a mysterious stranger who falls from the sky, neither man nor beast, or maybe both. What wisdom does this stranger have to teach? This is an expansion of the fantastic world of Avatar into something bigger. Strong language and violence. No smut. Ancient aliens.
1. Prologue: Falling

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

* * *

Prologue

Earth… Fire… Air… Water… These are the four elements of the Avatar cycle, and the names of the Four Nations of the planet Rhanjastah, a magnificent world filled with many wonders; the most wondrous is the people. From each nation, there are those able to manipulate the four elements of nature through martial arts. But only one can command all four elements… the Avatar. In a constant cycle of reincarnation, the Avatar is reborn into the next nation in the cycle upon their death, from the Earth Kingdom, to the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads, and the Water Tribes.

Seventy-four years ago, Avatar Yangchen of the Western Air Temple, the sole survivor of the genocide committed by the Fire Nation, heroically ended a century-long conflict, along with her friends: Katar and his sister Sika from the Southern Water Tribe, their friend Sud Beifong from the Earth Kingdom, and Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Once the war was ended, Avatar Yangchen and Zuko, who became Firelord, transformed the Fire nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom into a new nation; the United Republic. They named the capital of this great land Republic City. Now that is their story, but let me tell you OUR story, and how we got them mixed up in this huge mess of ours.

Five years ago, an event called the Blackout occurred on the planet Terra that resulted in the revelation that almost half of its populace was of extraterrestrial descent, an ancient race of draconian humanoids called Soradonians. Disorder and chaos ensued, and from the ashes of the chaos, five nations arose from the Soradonians: Longguo in Asia, the Draconche Confederacy of the American continents, the Harukhani in the Middle East, Drekiland in Northern Europe, and Dagonze in Southern Europe. After the many battles we fought together to restore balance as best we could, we finally departed for our restored home, Soradon, only to be followed by the ones who started this whole mess in the first place, the Tyravians. Chasing our fleet from system to system, the Tyravians have caught up with us at last. Above the atmosphere of the planet Rhanjastah, we engage in battle, for our survival and to reach our home world. What could possibly happen that could cause our path to cross with the people down there as we prepare for battle up here?

As we fight above, below on the surface, airbender Aang Tiankong of the new Air Nation travels along the Southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom, investigating reports of pirates attacking commercial trading ports, with two members of the Order of the White Lotus, siblings Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and blind metalbender Toph of the Beifong family. What they find will change their world... forever.

Chapter I

They sat there… in silence… deadly silence. Everyone was so still in their cockpits, they could here their own heartbeats. They all checked every valve, every gauge, and every instrument on their display screens and dashboards. They made sure their thrusters were working and their radar was adjusted properly. Most of them never would've imaged doing something like this… ever, piloting fighters in space. Several had done it in video games, but doing it in real life was something that no one thought would ever happen… or be possible. And now that it was real… well, it was real.

The red light on the ceiling was the only source of light beyond their cockpits, and it was dim, but enough for everyone to see what was around them; their comrades in their own fighters and the doors in front of them, separating them from space and their enemy, about to open at any minute.

And they weren't facing just anyone beyond those doors. These were the Tyravians they were about to face, the Tyrants. Anything the Soradonians could dish out and take, so could the Tyravians. It might've be five nations against one empire, but it was a huge empire, with tough soldiers. Then again, the Soradonians had held their own against the Tyrants time and time again. But that didn't stop them from feeling fear for what was in store for them.

Leo nervously drummed his clawed fingers against his sword. His wife, Camille sat in the fighter to his right, her cousin, Dax, in the one on his left, and Dax's girlfriend, Victoria, next to him. The rest among them were many other members of the crew waiting for the doors to open and end the suspense. Leo drummed and drummed until he heard his wife on the radio tell him, _"Doing that isn't gonna make it better, honey. For yourself or anyone else here."_

"Sorry about that, babe," Leo apologized, pushing the button to talk to her. He felt her eyes on him. He couldn't see it due to his blindness, but he could feel it, sense it.

Thanks to his acute hearing and enhanced spatial awareness, he could 'see' far more than others. He liked to think it was some kind of 'radar' sense, and that it came with his dragon-half. Most people thought he was crazy when he said he wanted to pilot a shuttle fighter blind. Once they made a few adjustments in the cockpit, he could fly and fight like reading a book written in braille. And he seemed to be able to read his opponents, like he knew what they were gonna do next.

As they waited for the doors to open, he remembered the first time they met the Tyravians.

In Camille's cockpit, she appeared to be calm and collected. But on the inside, her heart was racing a thousand miles per hour. She and Leo were both captured, and given a taste of Tyravian hospitality. They cut off both of Camille's hands and blinded Leo. They were rescued before anything else could be done to them. She took a deep breath to help calm herself on the inside.

Leo noticed and opened a private channel for just the two of them, "Hey," he said to her, "It's okay. You know we've beaten them before, right?"

" _I know, sweetie. I know. But it's not the Tyrants I'm worried about, it's…_ " Camille answered but couldn't continued, taking the pocket watch that he'd given her around her neck and opening it. Inside was a picture of their son, Kaitong, their daughter, Winona, and their adopted daughter, Cassie, _"We're practically raising our children on the frontlines. That's no way to live."_

"I know, Camille. I worry about them all the time. They're our children and I love them, but right now we have to focus on what is out there. The kids are in our suite, and Amirah's taking good care of them. And also, we're in this together, as a family. As Jiating. Oorah!" _L_ eo assured her, switching to a public channel and getting louder at the last part, inviting all to join in.

 _" JIATING! OORAH!"_ everyone shouted together. Camille smiled as he gave a small chuckle.

Leo continued, "Besides, look on the bright side…"

Camille smirked as she raised an eyebrow at his words, _"And what's that, getting to kick some Tyrant ass?"_

"Exactly!" Leo exclaimed enthusiastically at her spot-on answer, making Camille laugh out loud.

"And we get to do it together," Leo continued. Camille closed the watch around her neck and got her head in the game.

Leo and Camille were always there for one another. Whenever one wavered, the other was there to pick them up and help guide them back to the proper course. This was why they were so good together, not just as parents or husband and wife, but as a warrior couple. They were held as one of the prime examples of what it meant to be a warrior family.

As everyone was busy getting their head in the game, Dax gave a big whoop before he added, _"Alright, let's show these assholes the insides of their brains."_

There was an uproar of whooping and hollering from all the others in the hanger.

 _"Let's fuck these bitches. I've been dyin' for action,"_ Victoria joined in.

 _"You mean besides the action in the bedroom?"_ Dax playfully muttered to her, but everyone heard him despite his efforts, several muttering 'ulgh' here and there, grimacing at Dax's weird and gross humor.

"Okay, okay. That's enough. As I said, let's get focused," Leo told everyone.

 _"And Dax, you ever forget to open a private channel, I swear to almighty God, I'll fuckin' castrate you, ya arsehole,"_ Victoria threatened her boyfriend, embarrassed by his thoughtlessness and anger in her voice.

 _"Alright, Tori. I'm sorry. Dammit, can everybody get off my ass, now?"_ Dax exclaimed in frustration at everyone around him, _"What the fuck is taking that Irish prick so long on the Bridge?"_

Right after the very moment Dax said that, the red light turned yellow.

"Relax, Dax. Arthur knows what he's doin'," Leo assured him. There was a unanimous sigh on the radio channel that the wait was going to be over in just a few seconds. Leo grasped the hilt of his sword, leaning it against his right leg at his side. Most people thought that him carrying his sword in the cockpit was too much like a Kamikaze fighter-pilot. But Camille knew he was nothing like that. He intended to make it out of this fight alive, for her sake and their children's sakes. He kept his sword close for courage, to remind him of his strict moral code of civility. Eventually, Camille started carrying her sword with her in the cockpit. Then several others followed his example. Her sword was a Chinese dao saber, while his was a tiger forge Han dynasty jian.

From the Bridge, Lieutenant Arthur Gallagher began the countdown to launch, _"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… LAUNCH!"_

Leo's felt his fighter zoom out of the hanger, the force of gravity pushing him back further into his seat. The other fighters followed suit.

 _"Wow"_ Camille uttered as she got a gaze at the planet down below, _"It's incredible. I wonder what's going on down there?"_

 _"Probably too busy wipin' their asses and pickin' their noses to notice anything going on up here,"_ Dax joked, followed by much laughter over the radio.

 _"You're a sick bastard,"_ Victoria replied to her boyfriend's gross sense of humor.

 _"Hey, I know I can be an asshole, Tori. But I ain't no bastard,"_ Dax retorted.

"Alright, that's enough. Both of you. Now everyone, keep your eyes peeled. Don't want to be caught off guard and have the Tyrants get the jump on-,"Leo didn't get a chance to finish. He felt his fighter struck as he was shaken around like a lizard in a glass jar. The warning signals and buzzers went off as his fighter went spinning out of control.

 _"Leo? LEO?!"_ Camille yelled in terror on the radio as she saw her husband's fighter spin out of control.

 _"Leo! Damn Tyrants had some shooters waitin' for us just outside the doors!"_ Dax cursed as he saw what happened.

 _"I got 'em. Using gentle fire on 'em so as not to breech the hull,"_ Victoria reported as she sprayed the troops that had laid a trap for them. Several others joined in before they saw multiple enemy fighters approaching. Leo felt his fighter stop spinning and become stable again.

 _"We have a visual on the Tyrants, comin' in hot. You okay, Leo?"_ Camille asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, then switched his radio frequency to the Bridge, "Sam, what's the status on my dragoon?"

 _"Weapons are damaged, maneuverability is lost, life-support system is stable. Just sit tight, Captain,"_ Sam reported from the Bridge aboard their ship.

"Thanks, Sam," Leo replied.

 _"Sergeant Butler, round up a team and retrieve the captain. He's a sitting duck out there!"_ Gallagher ordered from the Bridge.

 _"Oi, Sir. On it,"_ Butler quickly answered. Then out of nowhere, Leo was shaken around again as his fighter was hit again, this time much harder. The alarms went off again, now even louder. Leo's fighter was spinning again, but this time it was also falling.

"LEOOOO!" Camille screamed.

"NO, NO, NOOO! CAP!" Dax shouted.

"CAPTAIN!" Arthur called.

"Captain, you're falling through the planet's atmosphere!" Sam alerted. Leo heard them all, but his comms were getting weaker by the second, their voices replaced by static. Then silence. He then heard what sounded like a storm outside his cockpit gradually getting stronger, worse. He knew what was happening. He tightened his seatbelt and held on for dear life, and prayed he'd make it out of this alive. No matter what, he wasn't ready to die… not yet. He had a family to get back to. Leo felt like he was sitting on a washing machine with a wild bull inside. Suddenly, the hatch opened. Leo held his breath as all the air was sucked out. He positioned his feet so as to not be sucked out himself as he undid his straps and stood up to grab the hatch and close it. Leo lost his grasp on his sword. Letting go of the hatch with one hand, he used it to make sure it didn't fly out the window. He managed to grab it by the scabbard, but the sword itself flew out and into the atmosphere.

"NOOOO!" Leo yelled as it fell farther and farther away. Losing the breath he had been holding, he shut the hatch. He plopped back in his seat and took a breath of air to relax himself as the cockpit filled back up with oxygen. He gripped the scabbard as he sat there in disbelief that he'd lost his sword. In anger, he smashed the instrument panel and cursed to the top of his lungs, "DAMMIT!"

Another explosion rocked the ship. Leo then inquired to his fighter's computer, "Dragoon-1, what was that?"

"The ship has blown in half. The stern has fallen off," the computer answered flatly.

"You seem pretty calm given our circumstances," Leo mocked.

"I simply do not have any other response. After all, I do not possess emotions."

"But it seems your sarcasm is in tact."

"I do not know if that was a compliment or an insult."

"SHUT UP!" Leo roared, then calmed down after of moment and asked, "Do you think surviving the crash is possible?"

"Depends on where we crash," the computer answered, "And it seems we are in luck. We are inbound for a body of water. Our point of impact with be less than half a mile from the coast."

"That's not so bad. How much time until impact?" Leo asked.

"A little more than a minute."


	2. Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Ages: Aang - 18, Katara - 20, Sokka - 21, Toph - 18

This Fanfic begins three months after the 'Legend of Korra' series finale.

Chapter II

Aang, his girlfriend, Katara, her brother, Sokka, and their friend Toph, laid down on the top deck of their small ship. It was the roof of the Bridge, which made it the highest place on their ship. They looked up at the sky as they watched a beautiful meteor shower in the night sky. There were also explosions in the sky. Everyone wondered about it until Sokka said, "It's just meteors hitting each other as they enter the atmosphere, become smaller meteors, turn to meteorites and then finally nothing. It's just nothing."

"You have some weirdo, sciency answer for everything. Don't cha, Meathead?" Toph uttered sarcastically.

"I'm just explaining what it really is. What's so wrong about that?" Sokka complained, wondering if there was something wrong with everyone.

"How 'bout taking away the mysterious part of it that made it more than just beautiful to look at?" Katara jokingly pointed out from beside her boyfriend. He let out a chuckle as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It's especially enjoyable to look at in good company," Aang added, which earned him an 'aww' and kiss on the cheek from Katara. She couldn't resist running her fingers through his hair.

It was also more comfortable to watch in their normal civilian clothes than their uniforms. Aang and Sokka both wore tank tops and pants, while Katara wore a nightgown. Toph wore pretty much what the boys were wearing.

They then heard a low groan from Appa on the main deck below. Aang sat up to see his sky bison and addressed him, "Come on, buddy. You know I wouldn't forget about you. Or Momo," as if on cue, the flying lemur swooped from his place on Appa's head and up onto Aang's other shoulder before he continued, "But Katara's my girlfriend, and that status dictates that she comes in first place."

Momo then flapped his wings and settled on Katara's far shoulder, his tail hanging over Aang's as if to bring the two closer. Both Aang and Katara laughed at the lemur's gesture.

"Thanks for the approval, Momo. It means a lot," Katara thanked the funny monkey, scratching behind his ears. There was another groan from Appa, as if he was also giving his approval. Aang responded, "Thanks, buddy."

They went back to watching the meteor shower. They were on a small ship commissioned to them by the Order of the White Lotus, of whom Sokka and Katara were rookie members. They were tasked with helping Aang, a member of the new Air Nation, investigate reports of pirate activities along the Southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom. They'd insisted Toph Beifong come along to help them, in case there was any sign of the Order of the Red Lotus.

Sokka and Katara were siblings from the Southern Water Tribe. Their father, Hakoda, was a retainer of Chief Tonraq and had fought in the Water Tribe Civil War. In the midst of the war, they'd lost their mother. They'd been introduced to the White Lotus through Katara's waterbending sifu, Pakku, who was a Grand Lotus of the Order, became apprentices and moved to Republic City. Sokka's master was a swordsman from the Fire Nation named Piandao, while Katara's master was Pakku himself.

After Harmonic Convergence and the rebirth of the airbenders, Katara found Aang working for the Triple Threat Triad, which had renamed themselves the 'Four Seasons Triad'. He'd been under the care of a gangster named Gyatso 'the Monk', who was known for his passive and generous nature, which the Triad found very useful in certain situations with the law. Once Katara, with Gyatso's help, had gotten Aang out of the Triad and with Master Tenzin and the new Air Nation, he made her promise to always take care of him. Aang and Katara had taken an instant liking to each other. A little after the incident with the Red Lotus, Aang asked Katara out and they started dating, much to Sokka's dismay. Since the White Lotus worked closely with the Air Nation, it was easy for Aang and Katara to see each other a lot.

Toph was the niece of Suyin Beifong and her husband Baatar of the Metal Clan in Zaofu. While traveling across the Earth Kingdom to help bring stability while Avatar Korra recovered down in the Southern Water Tribe, Aang, Katara and Sokka made a stop in Zaofu for supplies and were welcomed by the Beifongs with open arms. Just like when the Avatar and her companions came to the Metal Clan, they were introduced to all the members of the family: artistic Huan, friendly and fellow airbender Opal, the competitive twins Wei and Wing, and their blind hardcore cousin, Toph. They didn't get to meet Baatar Jr. since he was traveling with Kuvira. After the three got to know Toph and vice versa, she asked her aunt and uncle for their blessing to go with them, and since she'd be working with her younger cousin, Opal, they agreed.

Upon their last trip to Republic City, Master Tenzin tasked Aang with investigating reports of piracy along the coast of the Omashu peninsula. So far, they hadn't found anything to confirm the reports. They'd been searching for two weeks now, living on a small ship the White Lotus had given Sokka and Katara, flying between the ship and the mainland. It wasn't too small, so there was plenty of room for Appa and everyone else on the main deck. So far, they'd found three ports completely destroyed, no survivors, but no sign of pirates. It had to be something. But after two weeks of finding nothing, the group decided to enjoy and night of stargazing, improved by an unexpected meteor shower.

They saw another series of small explosions and more meteors showering down almost in waves of lights from the sky.

"Wow, this is amazing to watch," Katara said as she leaned in closer to Aang, petting Momo on the head.

"Yeah. Kinda makes you realize how insignificant we are," Sokka added, getting into one of his deep thinking, sincere moments.

"Eh, you've seen nothin' once, you've seen it a thousand times," Toph commented as she shrugged her shoulders, unimpressed by what the others could see and she couldn't, due to her blindness. Even though she was blind, she could a 'see' lot more than most with her earthbending.

Suddenly, one of the meteors didn't seem like it was moving, but it did appear to be getting bigger, or closer. Aang and Katara looked on in amazement as they both gasped.

"Oh, man," Sokka responded to Toph as he sat up, watching the fiery falling object get closer, "You've never not seen anything like this."

Aang and Katara sat up with him, their eyes open wide and mouths agape. The roaring sound it made grew louder as it got closer. It flew ten feet right over them. The sound was deafening so up close. Aang could've sworn he saw something jump out of it at the last minute. The object crashed hard, farther inland in an loud explosion. They all stood straight up, including Toph, at the intense boom. Aang then heard a flapping sound from above and looked up.

"Guys, look!" Aang said urgently as he pointed up, getting their attention. They all did and saw a person in a seat connected to a large umbrella floating down. He looked unconscious. As he touched down on the beach, the four rushed onto Appa and to the beach to make sure the person was alright.

Landing, Aang grabbed Katara and jumped down with his airbending. Sokka slid down Appa's tail, guiding Toph by the hand.

"Hey! Hey!" Aang called to the survivor, "Sir, are you okay?"

Upon reaching the stranger in the floating seat, Aang and Katara gasped as they suddenly halted and got a closer look at him.

"Hey! Is he alright?" Sokka almost broke Aang and Katara out of their stunned gazes, but he too was shocked when he saw for himself, "Whoa!"

He was big, very big. His skin was scarlet red and a bit scaly. He had claws on his fingers and toes. His feet looked like they belonged to a dragon. He even had a tail, a long one.

"What? What is it? Is he dead?" Toph demanded, clueless about what startled them due to the sand, "Say something!"

"I-I don't… know what… he… is," Aang slowly answered.

"Well, if you guys aren't gonna find out for yourselves, I guess I'll have to find out for all of us," she impatiently concluded, marching past Aang and Katara and dragging Sokka, "Where's our guy, Snoozles?"

"Uh, Toph, he's… um-" Sokka started but was interrupted.

"What? What is it?"

"Toph, we don't think he's human," Katara managed to get out plainly. The blind earthbender stopped in her tracked right in front of the stranger. She turned around, her eyes barely visible though her bangs and wide open.

"Then what does he look like?" she asked in a cautious tone.

"We don't know. He's got some kinda hood covering his face," Aang answered.

"Well, what does the rest of him look like?"

"He's wearing a dark blue changshan robe with a hood. He also has vambraces and greaves. He's got a lot of pouches on his belt, and in his lap is a… a scabbard… with no sword," Katara explained from afar. Obviously, no one wanted to get closer than they already were.

Toph narrowed her eyes before Sokka elaborated for her, "Basically, from what we can see, he looks like a lizard man. He's got a tail, claws, scaly skin. The whole lizard package."

"Well then, isn't someone gonna lift the hood off that face of his?" Toph gestured to the figure.

"Then why don't you do it since you're the one who wants to know what he looks like?" Katara countered.

"No way am I risking losing something, like say, a HAND or MY LIFE! What if it's just playing dead?" Toph held up her hands to emphasize her point, then pointed to the figure.

"Really? Are you serious? A person, that's right, a PERSON, needs our help and all you can think about is yourself? This person could die if we don't stop talking about what he looks like and do something to help him," Aang stormed past Katara, Sokka and Toph to put this matter to bed so that they could actually do something to save this person's life. He grabbed the edge of the beaked hood and flipped it over his head, revealing a very human face.

They all stood there and took in how normal he looked. Katara came up next to Aang, took out her flashlight, and got on her knees to check if their patient was still alive. Katara thought he was actually quite handsome. He had shaggy jet black hair, pointy ears, a flatter-than-normal nose and sapphire blue eyes.

"He's got a pulse," Katara stated.

"You think he's a spirit? I mean, that could be a possibility. After all, they're more common nowadays since Avatar Korra left the Northern and Southern portals open," Sokka speculated. It did sound reasonable.

"That would explain his appearance. But last time I checked, spirits don't bleed. This guy's got some bruising on his forehead and he's bleeding pretty bad. Plus, his pupils aren't dilating," Katara relayed her observations to her friends. His eyes were sapphire blue, like her's and Sokka's.

"Maybe he's blind" Aang hypothesized as he undid the buckles of his seatbelt.

"I don't think blind people are very good with swords," Sokka gave his own observations, taking the scabbard from the stranger's lap, "This sword must've been really big. Look how long this is."

"We need to get him to the ship. He needs that wound on his head tended to… and his eyes checked out," Katara stated.

"What?! No way. Nuh-uh. Not happenin'. We are not taking this monster aboard our ship," Sokka firmly objected.

"Sokka, he's not a monster. He's a person, and he needs our help. From what I can tell with the tons of pouches on his belt, the armor he's wearing, and the scabbard we found with him, he's a soldier," Aang countered as he squared off with the Water Tribesman, pointing out all the thing he knew Sokka would've observed.

"Aang does make a good case, Sokka. Besides, I don't think monsters are smart enough to be in armies," Katara added as she and Aang each put the stranger's arms over their shoulders, "Now are ya gonna help us get him on Appa, or aren't you?"

Sokka stood there for a moment, silent, as Aang and Katara dragged him out of his seat and towards Appa. Sokka turned to Toph as he felt her eyes on him, and she asked, "What're you lookin' at me for?"

He responded in kind, "Well, what're you lookin' at me for?"

"I'm waiting for you to lead us to them. I can hardly tell where anything is with this sand," she answered a bit exasperated.

Sokka smacked his forehead and murmured, "Oh my god, I can't believe we're doing this."

He guided Toph to Aang and Katara, each of them grabbing one of the legs that was being dragged in the sand. Sokka also grabbed the tail as well; it felt weird with it hanging down between his legs. They all got their mystery person up on Appa and to the ship.

Once Appa landed, Katara had Aang retrieve the first-aid kit and her herbal remedies.

With his injuries on the outside, he had to have had a concussion. The medicine and waterbending would be twice as effective in reducing the swelling inside the head and clear up the wound on the outside. The three of them brought their guest down onto the deck. Aang came back with the kit, the medicine and a blanket. They laid him down on it and Katara cleaned his forehead, applied the proper medicine, and wrapped some bandages around his head. After that, she took her flashlight again and reexamined his eyes. Still no response, no dilation, nothing. He still had a pulse so he was alive.

While Katara was busy with that, Aang spotted something they hadn't before. There were two patches on the right side of his chest, each with two different types of writing on it. The bottom line was written in a series of odd symbols, but the top line was written using the characters they'd grown up with, except for Toph who read braille. The writing on the patches read, '指揮官 Commander,' ''萊昂納多' 劉 李漢 'Leonardo' Liu Li Han'.

"Hey guys, come look at this," Aang called to his friend as they gathered around him to see what he found, pointing to the patches.

"What is it? He got a booger in his nose, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked. Katara stared daggers at her with a scowl.

"No, it's two patches on his uniform. One reads 'Commander 'Leonardo' Liu Li Han. The other has a bunch of strange symbols on it," Aang corrected her and read what was on the patches out loud, narrowing his eyes at Toph as well.

"Leonardo," Sokka let the word roll off his tongue, then asked rhetorically as he counted off his fingers, "Okay, one) what kinda name is that? Two) where the hell is this guy from? And three) what were his parents thinking?"

"Maybe it's a nickname, Sokka," Katara told her brother, "Hey, go get a bag for me to put some ice in."

"Where are you gonna get the ice?" he asked her, confused. She gave him a look that said, 'really?'.

Sokka's eyebrows jumped as he remembered she was a waterbender, "Oh, right."

Toph sat down on the steps that led up to the Bridge and gave a heavy yawn. It was getting late. Aang noticed and offered, "Toph, why don't you hit the hay? It's getting pretty late."

"You sure? I don't wanna leave you guys with that monster so that he can rip you two to shreds when he wakes," Toph jested. Though they both knew she was mainly joking, they detected caution in her voice.

"It's alright, Toph. We'll be fine. Aang and I got this. Besides, this guy bumped his head pretty bad. I don't think he'll be waking up anytime soon," Katara assure her, gesturing to her boyfriend. Just as she said that, their guest quickly opened his eyes and sat straight up, gasping for breath. Toph shot up from the steps as he came to. Terror was written on his face as he breathed heavy panicked breaths.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, okay? Take it easy. You're alright, oaky?" Katara tried to calm him as he tried to catch his breath.

He groaned and put his hand to his head, "Where the hell am I? Who are you people?"

"Relax. You've been in an accident. You have a concussion, and I think you might be blind," Katara told him.

"Where are I!? Who are you!?" he demanded, turning assertive. Sokka rushed out with his sword, ready to jump into action.

Aang swiftly stood up and held his hand up to Sokka, telling him to take it easy. He then kneeled back down next to the stranger, and firmly took over for Katara, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I'm Aang. This here is my girlfriend, Katara. The one on the stairs is Toph. And the one with the sword is Katara's brother, Sokka. We're on a ship just off the coast of the Earth Kingdom province of Omashu."

The stranger narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Omashu? Earth Kingd- What planet is this?"

The four all looked at each other at his cluelessness. Aang turned back to him and answered as best he could, "Uuum… Earth?"

"This whole planet is united under a single government?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in skepticism.

"What? No. There are five nations: the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, the Air Nation, the Water Tribe, and the United Republic of Nations. And the planet's name is Earth. The Earth Kingdom is just called that because they bend earth-materials, or rocks," Sokka explained to him, listing the names of the nations as if he was stupid. The stranger gave a vindictive look and uttered a low growl from his throat, almost like an animal. As he bared his teeth, they could see his canines were long and sharp. He just turned his head and his eyes looked straight forward, like was wasn't really looking at anything.

"Alright, enough," Katara commanded, causing everyone to settle down, "Sokka, put your sword away and go inside."

Sokka gave a sigh and sheathed his blade, going back though the double doors that led down to the quarters below deck. Toph went with him.

Katara managed to get their guest to lay back down and told Aang, "You can go too, Aang. I got this?"

"Nope," he responded, playfully smirking at her, "You can't get rid of me that easily. Besides, I spotted him first. I should at least stay with you while you work your magic. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't?"

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"Sweetie, I'm sure. Who else is gonna run errands for you while you treat your patient" he replied.

"You do know I'm right here, right?" the stranger asked, interrupting the little moment they were having.

Katara ignored him and gave Aang and appreciative look as she leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips. She then leaned her forehead against his and close her eyes, "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for, sweetie," Aang reciprocated.

"Uh, hello? Not asleep here," the stranger interjected again.

"Oh, sorry. How's your head?" Katara asked.

"It still hurts, but I've survived worse," he answered.

"Good. Now about your eyes; have you always been blind?" she questioned, wanting to finally find out.

"Nope, not always. Not 'til a few years ago," he told her.

"What happened?"

An uneasy expression came across his features for a silent moment before he answered, "It's… kind of a long story I don't feel comfortable telling right now."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to pry," Katara responded apologetically.

"It's okay… and thank you for savin' my tail," he offered his gratitude.

"You're very welcome. What's your name?" Aang accepted then asked.

"Leo. 'Leonardo' Liu Li Han," he gave them his name with a small grin.

"It's nice to meet you, Leonar- uuuh. That's kind of a long name," Katara tried to say his full name, but found that she couldn't.

"Leonardo is a nickname, but just call me Leo. Everyone does," Leo suggested.

"Well, Leo, it's an honor to meet you," Aang said, bowing his head.

Leo's grin grew bigger and replied, "It's an honor to meet you guys, too."


	3. The Crash

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter III

"… and from the original four nations of this planet, there are people who can telekinetically manipulate the elements through martial arts, or 'bending' as you call it?" Leo asked, seeing if he understood everything Aang and Katara explained to him as best they could, making quotation marks with his fingers as he said the word 'bending'. He had situated himself where Toph had been at the foot of the stairs.

"That's right," Katara answered. She and Aang sat side-by-side on Appa's tail, sitting across the way from him.

"And the element that a person can bend depends on the nation they're from?"

"Yep," Aang replied.

"And at first there were four nations, then three, then four again, then five?"

"Uh-huh," Katara took her turn answering.

"And the fifth nation is made up of people from all the other four?"

"Yeah," Aang then took his turn.

"And the only person able to bend all four elements is a person called the 'Avatar'?" Leo made quotations with his fingers again as he said 'avatar'.

"Yes," Katara said.

"And the Avatar is stuck in a cycle of reincarnation, being born into one nation after the next?"

Aang gave a long sigh before he answered what he hoped was Leo's last question, "Yes, that's correct."

"Wow," Leo was amazed with everything the couple had told him that there was to know about their world, "That's a lot to take in."

"Not as much as what you told us about you and your people," Katara replied. It was an awful lot, Leo knew, but still.

"Yeah, I guess you got me there," Leo chuckled as he agreed with her.

"Do you think your people know where you are?" Aang asked, concerned that their new friend might be lost to his people.

"My fighter had a tracking beacon in it. Even though it fell apart in the atmosphere, I think they'll be able to find me. It's in my cockpit," Leo assured them.

"Well, that's good. We can go check it out in the morning," Katara promised.

"Thank you, Katara," Leo responded.

"Hey, Katara, what time is it?" Aang asked his girlfriend after yawning and stretching his arms.

Katara took out her pocket watch and opened it up, "Very late, like half past one in the morning."

"Goodness, that is late," Aang agreed with her, then looked to Leo, "Come on, you can take my room."

"Oh, thank you, but you don't have to give up your bed for a stranger like me. I'll be fine under the stars," Leo appreciated Aang's offer, but couldn't accept it in good conscience.

"Leo, it's no problem. There's plenty of room for every one on this ship," Katara insisted.

"Really?" Leo questioned.

"Yes, really. You're not kicking anyone out of their bed," she continued.

"Well, if you insist, alright then," Leo finally accepted, taking up his blanket. Aang and Katara smiled as they took him below deck after saying goodnight to Appa. Leo was so tall, he had to crouched down a bit so as not to hit his head on the ceiling. They went to the crew's quarters and straight to Aang's room; or what used to be his room.

"Goodnight, Leo. Hopefully it'll be fine, despite your height," Katara said, then turned to Aang and whispered in his ear, "See you in a few, Sweetie," kissed him on his cheek and went down the hall to another door, looking back before going inside.

"You too, Babe," Aang beamed.

Just as Aang reached to turn the handle, Leo voiced, "This isn't your room, is it?"

Aang looked up in surprise, his eyebrows jumped, stumbling for a moment before he responded, "Wha- uh, how- how did you know?"

"Because I don't smell your scent coming from this room," Leo simply answered. He knew this wasn't Aang's room from more than just his lack of scent coming from behind the door. It might've been at one time, but not anymore. He noticed Katara looked back before closing her door, and if Leo wasn't kicking anyone out of their bed, that meant Aang and Katara had been sharing a room for a while now. He also heard what Katara had whispered in Aang's ear, and knew what she meant when she said that. He wondered if Sokka knew Aang was shackin' up with his sister. Despite all he knew, Leo said nothing else, wanting to be polite and not a bad guest.

"Um… okay," Aang said, feeling a bit weirded out right now, then opened the door, "Yeah, I hope it's not too small."

Leo crouched through the doorway and found there was a bunk bed, a couch, and a desk. He nodded as he began to think how he could make this work for him. The size of the room was just fine. The ceiling was a bit low for him, but the room was long enough for him to lie down. He turned to Aang and gave his approval, "This'll do just fine."

"Good," Aang reciprocated, "Breakfast is at seven. After that, we'll go check out the crash site."

"Alright. Thanks again, Aang," Leo said graciously, offering his hand to shake.

Aang smile and shook it with a firm grip, "It's no problem."

Leo closed the door as Aang walked off. Leo sat down on the couch and reached for the cross hanging from his belt and grasped it. It was a gift from his wife, Camille. She'd given it it to him when they got married. It'd belonged to her father, and when her parents died, it was given to her for safe keeping, to give to the man who'd be her husband.

Leo was twenty-five years old, and Camille twenty-six. They'd met five years ago during the summer, after his freshman year of college. She and her cousin, Dax, had just moved to the city, transferring to the same college. Leo and Camille instantly felt drawn to one another, and they soon started seeing each other. The chemistry between them was amazing.

Then the Blackout happened. The government fell, chaos reigned, and everything broke apart; everything except Leo and Camille.

Leo leaned his head back and gave a heavy sigh, hoping there was some way to get back to her, to his wife, his family… his Jiating. Leo took the cross off his belt and gripped it in his hand, bringing it to his forehead. He prayed that he would see them again.

* * *

As Leo closed the door, Aang walked down the hall to his and Katara's room. It was weird how Leo knew that room wasn't his. It used to be his, but now he was sharing a room with Katara. But they didn't want anyone to know; that way, Sokka couldn't find out from anyone. They'd started sharing a room for about a week now and despite their efforts, Toph did find out. However, she promised that their secret was safe with her, but only because Sokka being clueless about the whole thing was way too funny.

Aang came to door and entered. He heard the sink in their bathroom running and saw Katara brushing her teeth. He'd already taken care of his personal hygiene before their stargazing. He sat down on the edge of their bed, just staring at her. She was absolutely beautiful, like a fair spirit made into flesh. It was like the universe took extra care molding her, and she had a beautiful heart to match. Aang smiled at how lucky he was to call this stunning young woman his girlfriend.

Katara felt eyes on her, turned her head to see her boyfriend looking at her with that goofy smile on his face that she just adored. After spitting into the sink, she asked, "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the view," Aang smoothly responded.

"Aang, it's only me," Katara replied with a giggle.

"I know. Best view in the world," Aang returned, making Katara blush. She rinsed her mouth out and came out of the bathroom, then jumped on the bed and tackled Aang. They both laughed together as she straddled him. She looked down at him and just couldn't help but feel content. Aang reached up to her and cradled her cheek with one hand. Katara reciprocated by holding his palm to her face. It felt warm. She took his hand, intertwined his fingers with hers, leaned down and smashed her lips against his. Aang kissed her back, moving his lips in synch with hers. Aang cupped her face as Katara put both her hands on his lean, clothed chest. They both moaned into each other's mouths, breathing through their noses so they wouldn't have to break contact. They kept the kiss slow, taking their time savoring one another. The kiss became more heated as Katara stuck her tongue in Aang's mouth. She cupped his face as his hands traveled down to her lower back. His hands ran up and back down her back, giving her goosebumps. The two felt everything disappear, it was just the two of them, alone together in their own little void. Suddenly, Aang rolled them over, causing Katara to laugh in surprise as he did so, so now he was on top. They immediately resumed their passion, Katara wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer, running her hand through his hair, loving the feel of it. Aang could've sworn they were floating, lighter than air. His lips left hers, tracing her jaw and moving to her neck. Katara gasped in ecstasy at the pleasure and tilted her head to the side to give Aang full access. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

Katara then remembered Toph and how she could feel vibrations, and if Aang's heart was beating just as fast as hers was, and she didn't doubt it was, their combined heartbeats were enough to make the earthbender aware of what they were doing, and she might break her silence to Sokka out of annoyance, who'd then assume the worst and start a bunch of unnecessary drama.

"Wait, Aang. Please," Katara brought their make out session to a sudden halt, causing Aang to look up at her, wondering if he'd done something wrong, "We don't want to give Toph a reason to say anything. I'm pretty sure our heartbeats together are annoying the hell out of her, but if we get too crazy…"

"She'll probably tell Sokka," Aang caught on to what she was saying.

"Right, and you know how he can be sometimes," she confirmed, then remembered their guest and added, "Also I don't want to have to explain myself with this stranger around."

Aang hung his head as he took a deep breath, calming himself. He looked up and gave Katara a slow light kiss on the lips then breathed into her ear as he whispered in a deep erotic voice that drove her crazy, "I love you."

Katara's breathing became heavy again as Aang teased her, "Aang, please…"

He then brought his face nose-to-nose with hers. Aang kissed her on the nose and gave her an eskimo kiss. She smiled as they leaned their foreheads together, her deep blue eyes staring back into his silver ones and responded, "I love you, too."

Aang gave Katara another quick kiss as he rolled off her, folding his hands behind his head. She leaned into him and laid her head on his chest, resuming their close contact. Aang, in turn, wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"So, how did our new guest like his accommodations?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"He said that it'll do, so that's a good sign. But he said something that… I don't know how to put it… was a bit unsettling. It was like he could read me with ease… even though he's blind," he tried his best to explain to her.

"Hm, kinda reminds me of Toph," she replied, thinking of the blind earthbender, then asked, "What'd he say?"

"He said that he knows that the room we gave him isn't mine, or at least not anymore," he told her.

Katara's eye's popped open and sat straight up, shock in her eyes as she looked back down at her boyfriend, caution in her voice, "And how would he know that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was something we said," Aang tried to rationalize it as he tried to calm her down.

"Wait. Did he say it before or after entering the room?" she inquired, hoping they hadn't unknowingly given themselves away.

"Before," he answered simply.

"Dammit," Katara cursed.

"Look Katara, he didn't say anything else so I think he doesn't want to pry and he knows it's none of his business. And you're right, he does remind me of Toph, only he seems more easy-going and polite than rough, rowdy, and rude," Aang sat up with her and wrapped his arm back around her.

Katara went over the comparison between Toph and what she knew about their guest in her mind. Katara began to see Aang's logic and let out a sigh of relief, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Aang."

"I know, right?" Aang agreed her, then gave a yawn as he stretched his arms, "Well, I'm beat."

Katara yawned herself as they both lay back down, "Me too. Maybe tomorrow will shed some light on things."

"Like our guest and his silence," Aang pointed out.

"Or his little plight," Katara added, "Not to mention our assignment."

"Oh yeah, the reports of pirates," Aang had enjoyed the evening so much and had gotten caught up in what just happened after their stargazing, he'd almost forgotten their original task.

"Mm-hm," Katara reciprocated, closing her eyes again, aiming to fall into sleepiness.

"Who knows, maybe everything'll sort itself out and be an easy fix," Aang voiced their hopes before they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The winds whistled in their ears, ruffled their hair and shuffled their clothes as Katara leaned her head on Aang's shoulder, both sitting on Appa's head as he steered the bison towards the crash site of Leo's cockpit. Aang kissed her head as he wrapped his free arm around her, holding the reins with the other. He was in his airbender wingsuit, Katara and Sokka were wearing their White Lotus uniforms, and Toph wore her family colors and styled armor. Leo was dressed in his dark blue changshan with its beaked hood, utility belt, greaves, and vambraces.

Leo sensed the movement between the two up front and couldn't help but think of himself and Camille, his wife. Leo gave a small smile at the closeness, but it went away when he felt two sets of eyes, or at least one working set and one broken, looking at him as he sat in the saddle with Katara's brother, Sokka, and their friend, Toph.

Leo brought his hanging head up to the attention the two were giving him. His beaked hood was up, so the top half of his face was concealed in shadow, which made Sokka a bit uneasy. It looked like some 'thing' rather than a person was staring back at him. Toph couldn't see any of this, so she just sat there next to Sokka, waiting for someone to say something, or nothing.

"So," Leo took the lead in initiating some small talk with the less familiar two of his band of hosts, "you're Sokka, Katara's brother, right?"

"Uuuuh… yeah," Sokka slowly answered, a bit awkward.

"You a swordsman?" Leo asked in curiosity, pointing to the straight jian blade slung over Sokka's shoulder.

"Yep," Sokka gave a short answer.

"I happen to be a swordsman, myself. What do you practice?" Leo continued as he went on to list martial arts, "Tai chi? Wu dang? Wushu?"

"Uuuuh… Wu dang, I guess?"

"That makes sense. Wu dang fighters are often renowned for their swordsmanship," Leo added, hoping to get something out of these two.

"Uh-huh, yeah," Sokka flatly responded.

Leo could see he wasn't getting anywhere with this guy, so he turned his attention to to the girl next to him, "So what about you? What do you practice?"

"Well, it's an ancient style developed by blind monks," Toph said.

"Wow, really?" Leo asked, curious to know, "What's it called?"

"It's called nunya damn fucking business," Toph slyly replied. Sokka let out a loud laugh at her humor, holding his gut.

"Haha. Good one, Toph," Sokka added as he recovered from his fit of laughter.

Leo scowled in their direction and figured these two were thick as thieves, and that they were assholes, just like Dax and Tori.

Aang set Appa down around twenty yards outside the crater the debris had made. Aang took Katara in his arms, bridal style, and jumped off the sky bison's head, using his airbending to land. Sokka took Toph's hand and lead her down Appa's tail.

Katara turned back and looked up at Leo, standing in the saddle, and offered, "You need some help gettin' down, Leo? We're happy to help," remembering his blindness.

"I appreciate the offer, Katara. But don't assume I'm helpless just because I'm blind," Leo politely declined, "My eyes may be broken, but I can see a lot."

Aang and Katara remembered what he'd said the night before. Sokka and Toph turned their heads toward each other with looks with guilt, being jerks to their guest, and surprised at the revelation. Leo stood on the edge of the saddle and flipped right off, landing on his feet like a cat, or a dragon as he preferred.

All four humans stared at him in amazement and shock, wide eyed; Sokka's jaw dropped. As Leo walked past them towards the crater, he brought Sokka's bottom jaw back up with the tip of his tail. He also patted Toph on the head, making them both look like fools. They both assumed it was payback for their rudeness earlier.

About to step over the edge of the crater, Leo motioned with his hand for them to follow, "Don't just stand there. Let's get to it," he turned back to face them, "Nothing's gonna eat 'cha. Promise."

The four humans all exchanged cautious looks. First Aang followed, bringing Katara with him, holding onto each others hands, then Toph and Sokka. As they all followed the alien down into the crater, they all caught sight of what was once the nose of Leo's craft, and Leo apparently needed no guidance while walking. He must've figured out some way to see without his eyes, much like Toph.

Reaching the wreckage, Leo climbed right in and plugged a cord from the watch connected to his Pommware glove into the control console. After a moment, a voice coming from the watch plainly said, _"Download complete. Greetings. I am Amerigo, ready to provide any navigational guidance or communication assistance."_

Leo smiled as he responded, "Ciao, Amerigo. I need to make contact with the San Francisco. How's Dragoon-1's beacon?"

The AI responded, _"Unknown. The beacon is no longer attached. It fell off when the ship came apart while falling through the planet's atmosphere."_

"WHAT!?" Leo roared in disbelief, then pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself, groaning in frustration before he asked, "Well, where is it now?"

 _"Scanning… It seems there is a map of this planet, drawn up years ago by the Tyravians. Gordon Hawkins was able to obtain it from them by chance after the departure from Terra. It seems the beacon is located in the middle of a bay surrounded by a large city, called Republic City, six thousand seven hundred and fifty miles Northwest of this location."_

"Grrr. That's a long trip," Leo growled at the distance, then continued, "So Gordy hacked the Tyravians?"

 _"Yes sir, he did. From the Tyravian Imperial Military database,"_ the AI replied.

"Anything else?" Leo inquired.

 _"Not much of any importance. There is mention of a Tyravian soldier and his family that went missing some years ago in this system. Everything else is about the planet Terra. Is there anything else you would like for me to locate for you?"_

Leo thought for a moment, then remembered his sword and the tracking beacon in the pommel, "Locate my sword, Long Zhi Hun. Recognition code: three, three, seven, seven, nine, five, two."

 _"Scanning… Long Zhi Hun is in the middle of a massive walled-city call Ba Sing Se. It is the capital of the Earth Kingdom and was a refuge for those who sought shelter from the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War."_

"And how far away is that?"

 _"Approximately the same distance as from Republic City,"_ Amerigo informed, then added, _"Also, it appears I am only able to locate the beacon and Long Zhi Hun due to the satellites orbiting this planet, most likely belonging to the Tyravians."_

Leo hissed as his frustration began to boil over, "Goddammit," then struck the console. He then turned around and opened the compartments on both sides of his seat, or where his seat used to be. Leo figured he was going to need some supplies if he was going to travel such great distances, first to retrieve his sword, and then reach the beacon.

In the compartment to his right, Leo found his pistol, a modified glock-nineteen with plasma rounds in its holster, with a full magazine of fifteen rounds. He also found seven additional mags, two full boxes of ammunition, and a backpack to carry them all in. He took the gun, strapped the holster to his leg, filled the bag with the extra mags and the ammo, and put an arm through each strap.

In the left compartment, Leo was relieved to find his butterfly sword, Yang. It was a gift from his master, Solomon, when he got married. Solomon gave Leo and Camille each one half of a set of duel swords. Camille was given Yin, while Leo was given Yang, to remind them that only together were they complete, as man and wife. Leo took Yang and stuck the sheathed weapon in the back of his belt.

As Leo was digging through the wreckage, the humans stared in wonder at the technology before them. Sokka had always been a smart guy when it came to technology, like solving a few minor design issues when the White Lotus worked with Future Industries or their partners at Varrick Industries, tinkering here and there with technicians. But this… what he saw beneath the metal was technology far more advanced than he could imagine.

Aang and Katara wondered what the rest of the ship might look like and how it flew. If it came from beyond the sky, what kind of universe existed beyond their world? And who did that voice belong to and where was it coming from?

Toph, unlike the others who just stood there staring, slowly stepped toward the wreckage, despite the other's cautious protests, and laid her hand on the hull. It was incredible. The Metal Clan was not only famous for metalbending, but also for its vast knowledge of different metals. Toph and her kin had studied all known metals, including metals so pure they couldn't be bent, such a platinum. She knew how they felt and what they sounded like. But not this metal. She couldn't detect any earth in the metal. It was unlike anything she'd ever studied.

Leo double-checked both compartments, but found nothing else. Checking his belt to see if everything he found was accounted for, he hopped out of the cockpit and noticed his hosts still staring at the wreckage. Amused, he asked inquired to them, "What? None of you ever seen a spaceship before?"

After a moment of silence, Aang finally answered for the rest of them, "Uuuuh… no, not really."

"What metal is this hull made of?" "Where is that voice coming from?" "How does this thing work?" Toph, Katara and Sokka all asked at the same time asked.

Leo stared at them for a moment, silent, then answered in order, "The hull is made from a metal alloy called apollonium. That voice was an artificial intelligence program named 'Amerigo' downloaded into my Pommware," he held up his gloved right hand and pointed to the watch around his wrist, "And this is pretty much the spaceship version of a jet; except a lot more advanced… very advanced. And also, do you guys mind givin' me a lift?"

"What?" Sokka questioned, a bit stupefied.

"Where?" Aang asked simply.

"Huh?" Sokka turned to Aang, wondering what the Air Nomad was thinking.

"Well, first I have to grab something I dropped in," Leo rubbed his chin as he tried to remember the name of the city, "I think it's called 'Na Sing Se'? And then the thing I need to contact my people is in ummmm… Republic City?"

"Why not?" Aang immediately answered.

"Wait. What?" Toph voiced her surprise at the absurdity.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" Sokka exclaimed out loud in disbelief, sounding as if he'd just had a heart attack.

"Uh, Aang-," Katara started, but before she or anyone could say anything else, there was a loud boom off in the distance. They all turned back towards the coast. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph suddenly remembered their original task: the reports of pirates. Finally, they'd confirm the reports and handle the renegades.


	4. A Viking, a Mongol, and a Ninja

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter IV

"What do you see, Sokka?" Aang shouted back towards Appa's saddle where everyone else was, prepping for whatever they would find, as he steered the bison towards the smoke.

Sokka whipped out his binoculars from his pack and zeroed in on where the tower of smoke was coming from. Once he was able to get a clear view, he saw the smoke was coming from a small town with a few docks, and two or three boats left but ruined. Sokka relayed what he saw, "It's a small water-side town."

"Any survivors?" Katara questioned urgently.

"No, doesn't look like it," Sokka could see a few bodies lying here and there, but he couldn't tell if there was anyone still alive.

"Perhaps we'll be better able to find some answers once we touch down and see for ourselves," Leo added, checking his pistol, magazines, and his butterfly sword.

Sokka narrowed his gaze as he pointed at Leo as he barked at the alien, "Like hell you are. You're stayin' put. This is our business."

"Sokka!" Katara protested from the front of Appa's saddle.

"No, Katara. No!" Sokka argued with his sister, "We don't even know if we can trust this guy. He shows up last night, out of nowhere, and all of a sudden something actually happens on our assignment. For all we know, it could be this guy, or his people," the Water Tribesman motioned to Leo, "Besides, we already got a blind member of the group and she's plenty useful, and then some."

"Thank you," Toph replied as she smirked, bumping fists with Sokka.

"Toph!" Katara then scolded her.

Just as Aang was about to help Katara keep the two smartasses in check, a small roar erupted from Leo's throat, startling all four humans into silence, all taken aback as he showed his teeth in a low growl, like some animal before he challenged, "Look pal, I don't care if you don't trust me, or like me, but let me tell you this: I don't take orders from you," he then pointed towards the smoke, "and I have nothing to do with that little shit-show down there. So shut your ass up and sit the fuck down."

Eyes wide open, Sokka leaned back against the edge of the saddle, Toph doing the same. Aang and Katara could tell that Leo was done being polite, and they honestly didn't blame him. They both exchanged glances before Aang went back to flying Appa.

Aang landed Appa in the middle of what was left of the town, mostly a bunch of small buildings along one central road leading to a small town square by the docks. Half the town was on stilts in the water. To make sure no harm came to him, Aang had Appa fly off and remain close by. He made sure he had his bison whistle handy.

Surveying the damaged structures and the bodies littered everywhere, they all felt like puking. Looking down the main street through town, they saw a pile of headless corpses, their heads attached to strings, dangling from where the night lanterns used to be. They all gasped at the sight. Sokka and Katara had suffered many indignities at the hands of the Northerners during the civil war, but nothing as brutal and savage as this. Aang had seen a lot of bad stuff in the Triad, but this was a whole new level of shit. Toph, unlike the others, had never witnessed anything like this, growing up in a privileged and sheltered life.

At the stench, Toph immediately heaved over and emptied her stomach right there. Sokka rubbed her back, comforting her as she sensed the carnage in their midst. Katara couldn't look away no matter how much she wanted to. Aang just stared at it all blankly for a moment, then walked towards the docks, staring at all the wrecked houses, pieces of wood, bodies, and body parts in the water. Much of the water was blood red. There was this burning stench in the air, not just from the bodies, but something like black powder from the Fire Nation, only different… hotter, worse. It brought up memories of all the things he's seen, and done, in the Triad. There were reasons a lot of what they did what kept secret.

Leo just stood there taking it all in. He could sense where everything was, smell the blood, and hear the flies buzzing. It was sickening, but unfortunately familiar. He'd witnessed butchery like this when his home city, San Francisco, was invaded by the Ottoman League, right after the Blackout. But the League never pulled off anything like this. Most executions, they'd just put a bullet in one's head. Simple. But his was different, it was... creative.

Toph finally finished emptying her stomach of her breakfast, then gave everyone a thumbs-up as she spat, "I'm okay. I'm fine," she then whispered under her breath, "Holy fucking shit."

"Who could do something like this?" Katara rhetorically uttered in shock of the sight.

"Obviously some sick bastards. I mean this… is just… pure evil," was all Sokka to say.

"Yeah," Toph managed, trying to spit the taste of vomit from her mouth as she groaned, "this is some real fucked up shit."

Aang came out of his daze as he regained his focus, turning back to the others, Aang suggested, "As messed up as all this is, we still need to see if there are any survivors. Sense any, Toph?"

Toph tried to sense for any signs of life amid the fresh ruins, but gave a heavy sigh as she found nothing, "No. There's literally no one here but us."

"Dammit," Sokka cursed under his breath.

"Whoever did this, they must've been thorough," Katara sadly observed.

"This was an intentional massacre, fueled by either prejudice against these people, or devotion to some deity worshipped by the attackers," Leo concluded from his experiences in war.

"Really now?" Sokka sarcastically articulated, "And how'd you come up with that theory?"

Katara, Aang and Toph all narrowed their eyes at Sokka. Toph gave him a quick jab to the shoulder and urgently chastised, "Will you shut it, Meathead!? Shouldn't you know by now that getting' on his bad side isn't exactly good for your health?"

"Seriously, Sokka. Just leave him alone," Aang implored, then directed to everyone, "Let's split up and see what we can find. Search the buildings and dig through the rubble if you have to. Maybe we can find some clues as to who's behind this."

Katara went with Aang along the docks, Sokka went with Toph through the marketplace, and Leo stayed in the main street with the decapitated bodies and the dangling heads. He'd witnessed this kind of carnage before, but he couldn't remember the perpetrators. There was something familiar about that burning odor. Closer to the bodies, he could better identify the stench. He grabbed one corpse by the arm and turned it over on its back. He felt the torso and found it was filled with several holes. The smell was worse up close, but now Leo knew why it was so familiar. It didn't just smell like gunpowder, but poison. It was acidic. These people were shot with acidic plasma rounds, and he knew exactly who used that type of ammunition.

Leo's eyes grew wide under his hood, his heart raced as he felt like he was being watched. He climbed on top of a roof, that was miraculously still standing, and sniffed the air. He gave a sigh of dread as his fears were confirmed: they were there, in the trees, hiding.

Leo rushed to the town square and urgently called to the others, "Guys, where are you? Get back here. We need to go. Now!"

Aang and Katara returned from the dock, both confused at Leo's sudden display of fear. Sokka and Toph came from around the corner, annoyed expressions on their faces.

"What is it, now?" Sokka groaned in frustration.

"We have to get out of here, right now!" Leo urged.

"Leo, what's going on?" Katara asked, growing fearful herself.

Leo turned to her, "There's no time to explain," he then turned to the airbender, "Aang, call your bison so we can get the hell out of here."

"Leo, relax!" Aang slowly, but firmly, tried to calm him and get some answers, "Just tell us what has you spooked all of a sudden."

Leo released a breath of fear when he finally felt their presence become too close for escape. He simply raised his arm and pointed his clawed finger to his right, and uttered, "Them."

There at the end of the street, underneath the gate to the town, stood two tall figures wearing heavy, hooded black cloaks; heavier than Leo's. Aang, Katara and Sokka could see armor underneath their cloaks. They stood there with their hands dangling, as if ready to draw the blades at their waists. Only the bottom halves of their faces were visible, the rest concealed in shadow cast by their hoods. One had a Fu Manchu beard and a wicked grin. His chin was quite odd, though; it had two sharp corners that dove down, as if to give his jaw a set of horns. And their tails… they had tails, like… Leo. And their feet were clawed as well. But these guys were taller, much taller. Toph could feel their presence, too, and from what she sensed from their heartbeats, they were excited.

Suddenly, Toph sensed two more in the opposite direction, pointing as she alerted the others, "There, too."

They all turned and farther down the street were two more hooded figures, one carrying a large bearded axe with a long shaft, the other cradling a flanged mace over his shoulder. The appearance of these strangers was unsettling, and Aang felt uneasy not just from that, but it was their posture, like predators ready to pounce. Katara felt like they were being cornered, as if they were some meal to these people, as the four black cloaks began to draw-in closer. Toph usually wasn't stirred by much, but this for sure had her heart racing. Sokka had thought he'd seen it all when the dark spirits overwhelmed the Southern Tribe in the civil war, but it seemed the universe had proven him wrong as he reached for his sword, "What do we do?"

The five in the square, surrounded, stood back-to-back; Aang and Katara faced the two at the gate, Sokka and Toph the two with the axe and mace, and Leo kept switching between them, back and forth. He drew his butterfly sword and got into his wing chun stance. The others followed him, getting into their stances and drawing their weapons: Sokka his sword, Katara the water from her pouch, Toph the ground beneath her feet, and Aang the wind in the air around them.

"You guys decent in a fight?" Leo inquired, hoping he wouldn't have to carry everyone else's weight in this confrontation, "Seems these fine fellows are lookin' for some fun; that means no guns, all melee weapons."

"We all know our way around a punch or two," Aang answered humbly.

"Good, 'cause these guys are gonna do a whole lot more than punch," Leo replied, "We need to get them all together on one side, unless…"

The two cloaks at the gate drew their blades; one had a curved saber, the other a pair of long straight daggers.

"Unless what, genius?" Sokka impatiently inquired.

Just as Leo sensed they were about to pounce, he drew his glock, aimed for the two with the sword and daggers, and emptied his magazine into both of them. The humans jumped at the loudness of the weapon, covering their ears. Toph shouted, "What the hell is that!?"

The cloaks with the axe and mace frowned that their opponent would cheat and use a firearm. They grit their teeth, unleashed blood curdling roars, and charged with their weapons held back ready to swing.

All five in the square stood facing their attackers. Leo quickly instructed them, "Move around them, and fast. And in the meantime, hit 'em where it counts!"

Leo then sped off straight towards their opponents. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph all followed suit. Leo clashed with the giant with the axe. As he brought the axe down on him, Leo spun to the side and flipped over him, catching his hood and lifting it off his head. He had a long braid and his hair was shaved in the sides, his long beard braided as well. He looked like a Viking.

Every time the Viking swung his axe, Leo just pivoted to the side and sliced here and there at his arms, chest, and abdomen. Leo dropped his butterfly sword and caught it with his tail. As the Viking brought his axe up in a diagonal motion, Leo twirled to the side and slashed at his thigh.

The one with the mace swung at Aang, but he slid under and spun back to his feet behind him. Toph threw a barrage of rocks at the man, but he either dodged them or smashed them with his mace. He then aimed for Katara, but she rolled to the side and water whipped him in the face. She then used the water right next to them to form tentacles and grab his right arm. Sokka used this opportunity to try to disarm him… literally. Shouting a loud battle cry, Sokka charged with his sword above his head. But before he could bring the blade down on the giant's arm, Sokka was caught by a tail wrapped around his throat.

"Sokka!" Katara called, scared for her brother. Toph threw a boulder at his chest, but he barely seemed phased. She threw another one, only this time he caught it with his bare hand, then smashed it against his head. He grinned a sinister grin as he growled and laughed at Toph. To her at that moment, he seemed crazy. Maybe he was; maybe they both were.

The Viking swung at Leo again, and again Leo dodged, but this time he grabbed Leo by the wrist, head butted him, gripped his neck and slammed him down onto the ground. He then looked to see his comrade in the waterbender's grasp, so he threw Leo like a ragdoll and he crashed into Aang. The Viking then severed Katara's water tentacle, releasing his friend.

His hand freed, he switched hands with his mace, and his tail with his hand around Sokka's throat. Sokka tried to breath despite the grip on his neck. The man slammed Sokka on the ground and raised his mace. The Viking charged Katara, but she summoned a deluge from around the docks and created her own personal wave to swerve around him and over the one on her brother. She then used the wave to grab his left arm and entirely engulf him. Katara slammed him down a good distance away. Sokka gasped and coughed for air as his sister helped him up. The warrior bashed by the two siblings lifted his hood to see better. He had a small patch of hair in the front of his scalp, long braided hair on the sides that formed two loops, with nothing on top, like one of those barbaric, nomadic tribes on the grassy plains of the Earth Kingdom. A person from the planet Terra would think he looked like a Mongol warrior.

Leo and Aang both got up from their impact. Just as they were about to rejoin the skirmish, Leo's ear twitched as he heard the sound of blades being drawn in the distance and a whistling in the air. He swiftly picked up a piece of wood and waved it in front of his face then Aang's. He held it up to reveal two large throwing knives caught in the wood. Leo pushed Aang out of the way as the Viking brought his axe down between them. Aang sent him back with a strong continuous blast of wind against a large boulder Toph swung like a club. The Viking growled as he got back on his feet.

Leo took one of the knives from the wood and threw the lumber away as he sensed another cloaked figure emerge from the shadows of the trees. Walking on the rooftops, he drew a ninjato from his scabbard. Reaching the edge of the rooftops, he flipped off and landed in the street. He wore a cloak as well, but his was less of cape and more of a robe. His armor was the same, and a hood concealed most of his face, like the others. But this one was smaller in size, only taller than Leo by a few inches. Their blades drawn, they charged each other, metal meeting metal in the middle. He reminded Leo of a ninja.

Leo thought with his bigger weapon, the ninja would rely more on his blade's farther reach, so he tried to get around him with a few quick slashes here and there, just like with the Viking. But this guy was quick, as well. So Leo took his time, dodging and blocking as he studied his opponent's strategy and tendencies.

Katara sent ice daggers flying at the Mongol as Sokka grabbed a handful of dirt and he ran up behind him. He looked to the blind earthbender as she and Aang fought the Viking, calling out, "Toph! Give me a lift!?"

Toph shot him over the Mongol, and as he flew over the giant, he threw the sand in his eyes. Sokka landed and rolled to a sound stop. The Mongol roared in pain at the particles in his eyes, shedding a few tears trying to rub them out. He tried to clear his vision, but to no avail. Katara sent more ice daggers flying, and this time they hit. One was stuck in his left shoulder, one in his right leg.

Toph bent a pillar up to block a side attack. The Viking smashed it. She shifted the earth beneath him and he fell off balance. She then shot him into the air with another earth pillar. Aang then leapt some twenty feet, flipped over him, gaining momentum as he did, and came hurdling at him with a great force. With a hard thud, he hit the ground like a hammer on an anvil. Aang land on top of him on his back.

Leo had just knocked the sword from the ninja's hand. Leo had learned his tendencies and style… and his mistakes. While his work with the ninjato was indeed masterful, there was hardly any fluidity or adaptation to his movements; just rigid muscle memory, like a robot. Leo thrust his butterfly sword straight at the ninja's chest in a stabbing motion, but his strike was parried. The ninja cocked his fist to strike Leo's chest with a death punch to the heart; but Leo anticipated this. Leo dropped his sword and caught it with his tail, pivoted to the side and blocked the attach with a bong sau technique and gripped his opponent's wrist. Leo rotated his knife hand over the other and brought the knife against his throat. He had him in a grapple now, and he was Leo's to control. Not taking any chances, Leo swiftly dragged the sharp edge across his throat. Blood gushed like a fountain as he fell back, gasping for breath and holding his hand to his sliced jugular. As if that would do any good. Leo simply walked past him as he sheathed his sword and grasped the ninjato with his tail, then his hand.

Aang gasped at the scene before him, repulsed. Leo had come off as so warm and friendly; he couldn't imagine he'd be capable of such violence. Aang looked down at the Viking and knelt down to check his pulse. He gave a sigh of relief as he detected one. He was still alive. He picked his head up to jump back into the action, with Katara, Sokka and Toph surrounding the only attacker still standing, the Mongol swinging his mace around blindly. Katara and Toph managed to knock him around a bit, but he just got back up and kept swinging mad. Sokka was able to deliver a cut or two. But Aang's leg was caught as the Viking sprang back to consciousness. He tried to drag Aang to him, bloodlust in his eyes, but Leo sliced his arm off. He cried out in agony as he held the fresh stump. Aang kicked the severed limb away in shock. Leo took the throwing knife he still had and buried it in the Viking's skull, silencing him.

That was two; two lives Aang had just witnessed being snuffed out before him. It brought back more flashes of his past in the Triad. He snapped back to the present as Leo stood over him and offered his hand to help him up. Aang took it and was jerked to his feet.

They joined in surrounding the Mongol. He turned to Leo and swung at his head. Leo dodged and drove his sword through his forearm. He roared in pain and dropped the mace. Leo backed up, then charged him and flipped into the air, landing a powerful flying kick to the chest, knocking him back hard.

Toph formed earth shackles around the Mongol's arms, legs, and tail. Katara made doubly sure he was secure, bending water onto the shackles and freezing them. The Mongol groaned in defeat. Katara bended some water around his eyes, washing out the rest of the sand. Able to see again, he observed his victors standing over him and narrowed his eyes at them.

"Damned humans!" the Mongol spat in a strange outlandish, grunting accent, "You and your fucking magic!"

"It's not magic, it's bending, a perfectly natural ability," Katara corrected. He instantly hissed at her. His tongue was long and forked, like a snake. Leo approached and took off his hood. Instantly, the Mongol's eyes grew wide with shock and terror. Leo sensed his heartbeat begin to race, this time with fear.

"You know who I am, yes?" Leo firmly inquired.

The man nodded, shuddering as he croaked, "Y-you're Soradonian. But… how? Your kind died out long ago."

"Correction: we didn't die, just disappeared. Seems like word of our return hasn't yet reached this far across the galaxy. Now tell me, why the hell are there Tyravians on this planet?" Leo commanded as he questioned him, grabbing him by the collar. The Mongol didn't answer, just quaked in fear.

"Tell me now or I'll shave your ears from your head!" Leo ordered as he drew his sword and held it against his left earlobe.

The threat, however, only seemed to restore the man's resolve in the face of his enemy, narrowing his eyes at Leo, "There's nothing you can do. The infiltration has already begun, and the invasion is soon to follow."

The Mongol then moved his tongue and bit down on something in his mouth, "Vlorias dya Tyravia!" he choked out as foam spewed from between his lips, the last of his breath gone. Katara covered her mouth as all four gasped when they realized he'd just bit down on a poison capsule implanted among his teeth.

Leo sighed, sheathing his sword again as he stood back, pinching the bridge of his nose before he instructed, "Aang, call your bison. We gotta get outta here, and fast. If these guys are here, there's bound to be more."

Aang whipped out his bison whistle and blew, calling Appa. In no time, the bison came into view and landed right in the town square. Aang carried Katara bridal style and leapt onto Appa's head while Sokka, Toph and Leo climbed up his tail and into the saddle. Aang gripped the reigns and called, "Yip yip!"

At the sound of the command, Appa slapped his tail onto the ground and rose into the air. As they left the town behind, a pair of eyes watched from among the trees. He held a finger to the device in his ear and uttered, "Agent Vladimirran-1 to Obrachan Command."

 _"This is Obrachan Command, what is it?"_ replied a voice in his ear.

"Tell my father and uncle that I've found the Grandmaster of the Order of the Dragon. Leo the Han is on Rhanjastah, getting help from some of the locals. They've encountered some of our brothers and know of our presence."

 _"Isolate them, then make them silent."_


	5. Shock, Awe, and Alcohol

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter V

Sokka and Toph just sat there, still as stones, in Appa's saddle across from the red-skinned alien in the dark blue rode. Their eyes were wide as they stared at him. They should've expected him to be dangerous from the weapons he carried: the sword, and the hand-held device that made whatever it aimed at explode. But it wasn't just the weapons; it was him. He was a living, breathing, lethal killing machine of flesh and bone. Every single one of their attackers back at the town, except the one who ate the poison, met their end at his hands.

Leo sensed the two sitting across from him staring. He didn't mind most of the time when people stared, as long as they tried to mind their own business, but this was blatantly obvious and rude. Leo just spat off the side of the saddle and turned back to face them.

Once they landed back on the boat, everyone but Leo jumped onto the deck. Leo just casually walked down the bison's flat tail. Aang and Katara were at the railing, Katara puking her guts out by the sound of it, and Aang holding her hair. Toph went through the double doors that led to below deck, while Sokka rushed upstairs to the bridge. Leo opened one of the double doors and sensed Toph go into her room. She reached into the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a bottle of baijiu and a single glass.

 _Man, that stuff must be strong_ , Leo thought since he could smell the alcohol from down the hall.

Up on the bridge, Sokka struggled as he dialed the radio, trying to find the correct frequency so that they could contact the White Lotus and Master Tenzin; they had to know about this. He turned the knob to the correct channel. The pitch of the static went up and down as he tuned the radio, until he finally got a signal.

"Hello, hello? Please come in. Someone please come in," Sokka repeated over and over again as he panicked. He was in shock and completely freaked out by everything he'd just seen in the last few hours. He waited, waited, and waited only for a few minutes, but each one felt like forever. Suddenly, he got a response at last, _"Sokka, is that you? What's wrong?"_

It was Master Tenzin.

"Tenzin! Master Tenzin, it's so good to see you- I mean- hear you- I mean hear your voice," Sokka choked as he tried to get the words out as fast as he could.

 _"Sokka, slow down. Take a deep breath. Where's Aang?"_ Tenzin tried to understand what Sokka was saying as he made an effort to calm him down.

Sokka inhaled, then slowly exhaled, "Aang's fine. He's outside with Katara."

 _"Okay. Well, what are they doing? What's going on?"_

Sokka looked out the window and down by the railing and relayed what he observed, "He's holding her hair while she throwing up; and I don't blame her."

 _"Why is she having stomach problems at sea? She's a waterbender. I know that waterbenders don't get sick at sea because both my father and sister are waterbenders."_

"Tenzin, listen to me. There's a chance you're not gonna believe what I'm about to tell you, but hear me out," Sokka began to rapidly explain everything as best he could, "Last night while we were stargazing after weeks of finding nothing, some tall red-skinned lizard man falls from the sky. And it turns out he's blind but can still see. Anyway, we find him unconscious, get him onboard the boat, check him for injuries, and then BAM! He wakes up, and he says that he's a commander and he's from another world and his name's Leo. Then this morning, we take him to the site of his crash and he lost his sword when he fell from the sky. Turns out it landed in Ba Sing Se, and he wants us to take him there to get it. Then we see smoke off in the distance, and we follow it to a town where we find ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT CARNAGE AND DEATH!" Sokka blasted into the radio then resumed his rambling, "Then we get ambushed by four shady guys who are kinda like Leo but really aren't. We're surrounded, then Leo points this weird weapon that goes BOOM, BOOM at two of the guys and they die, INSTANTLY. Then we fight the two guys left, and they're really tough. And these guys are crazy. I mean completely wolfbatshit crazy. And then another guy appears. Aang, Katara and Toph knock 'em around with their bending, I land a few cuts. But this guy Leo…" Sokka finally slowed down, "he kills every one of them: the guy with the big-ass axe, his friend with the mace, and their buddy with the sword," Sokka then remembered, "Actually, Leo didn't kill the one with the mace. He died from eating a poison pill, only after he says that the infiltration had started and the invasion is coming soon."

A few moments of silence endured over the radio as Sokka caught his breath, his rambling done. As the silence continued, Sokka wondered if anyone was still listening.

"Hello?" Sokka queried.

Nothing.

"Hello? Master Tenzin?" Sokka called again.

After a bit more silence, finally Sokka heard on the other side, _"What? You were attacked? By who? Was it pirates?"_

"No, it wasn't pirates. They were something else entirely. They didn't take anything, just killed everyone in town," Sokka informed.

 _"And you said you picked up a random stranger, and he killed most of your attackers? And what do you mean he's from another world? Do you mean the-"_ Sokka couldn't hear Tenzin finish as his voice was drowned out by the rising static.

"What the…" Sokka perplexed at the radio's sudden dysfunction. He eyed the machine, knowing this wasn't supposed to happen. Not only was the radio on the right channel, and tuned to the correct frequency, but it was also brand new. Sokka tried to adjust the frequency again. It didn't work. He turned the channel. More static. Sokka slammed the speaker on the desk in the the bridge in frustration as he swore out loud, "GODDAMMIT!"

* * *

Leo closed the double doors and let Toph be. He went to the railing to check on Aang and Katara. She threw up the last contents of her stomach as her boyfriend held her hair and rubbed her back, offering what comfort he could. Katara tried to spit the taste from her mouth before she wiped all traces from her lips.

"You guys alright?" Leo asked.

"We're fine," Aang simply acknowledged then turned back to Katara, "Just in shock."

"Yeah, and in… disbelief," Katara added as she turned around, "What were those things?"

"Members of the Obrachan: the elite warriors of the entire Tyravian imperial military. They're the Tyravian Empire's special forces, and wherever they are, the Empire has an interest. And if members of the Obrachan are here on this planet, they got plans for it… and its people," Leo elaborated on their attackers' identity to them.

"What kind of plans?" Aang further inquired at this knowledge, growing more uneasy with each piece of it.

"Nothing good. Pretty much just drain the planet of all resources, enslave the populace, that sort of stuff. The men will become the workforce, while the women and children will be made into servants, tending to every one of the Tyrants' needs and desires, which includes working in domestic service, agriculture, sweatshops, prostitution, you get the idea," Leo described to the couple, casual and nonchalant as he did. Their eyes grew wide at how callous he was.

"Spirits," Katara gasped as she covered her mouth, then both she and Aang exchanged concerned glances before turning back to him, "How could they do something like that?"

"They do it to feed their growing empire. It's like a beast that's always hungry," Leo threw up his hands in the air as he walked across the deck, going on a rant, "Theirs is an interstellar empire, and an ethnocentric culture. They believe that everything in the galaxy is theirs by divine right, just because they want it. If the Tyrants desire something, they do whatever they can to take it, for the glory and prosperity of their empire, at the cost of everyone else."

"Sounds like the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War," Aang concluded.

"Only worse, and on a much bigger scale," Katara added.

"And if the infiltration has already begun, this planet is pretty screwed without some kind of intervention via a third party," Leo said.

Without warning, Sokka burst through the door to the Bridge, a panicked expression on his face, exclaiming, "Something's wrong with the radio. I was able to make contact with Air Temple Island, but the the radio stopped working, going all fuzzy n' shit, for no reason at all!"

"They're jamming your signal," Leo simply put it. The others turned to him with a mix of confusion and concern written on their faces before he explained, "The Tyrants are aware that you four know of their presence, and they don't like that. They don't want anyone to know about them, so they'll do whatever they can to isolate you from everyone else, making it much easier to hunt you down and silence you."

"Wait," Katara voiced a sudden concern as she looked around the deck, "where's Toph?"

"She's in her room, drinking," Leo informed them.

"Dammit. I'll get her," Katara cursed under her breath before she volunteered.

"No, wait. I'll make sure she's alright," Sokka suddenly sounded calm and steady, albeit obviously forced as he opened the double doors, looked back at the three by the rails, smiled and gave a thumbs-up, "I got this."

The couple exchanged looks as Sokka vanished behind the doors. Suddenly Leo said, "He's lying."

* * *

The three went into the galley to brew themselves some tea, so as to better calm their nerves. Aang used to always have a good brew every morning with Gyatso, and every weekend since he was old enough, they both shared a bottle of rice wine. Gyatso always made sure Aang didn't drink too much, otherwise he'd wake up the next morning with a hangover, and that took more than just a good cup of tea to cure. He remembered one night he stayed out late with Shady Shin and Bolin. Shady Shin had gotten them both so drunk, Bolin's older brother, Mako, found them sleeping in a bunch of garbage in a back alley. After Mako brought Aang home, Gyatso didn't lecture him or anything; he helped mend his hangover and brewed him some tea. However, Gyatso didn't hesitate to slam every door he walked through, making Aang's head feel like it was about to break with every loud boom. Aang later heard from Bolin that Mako had done the same.

It had been awhile since Leo had sat down and enjoyed a nice cup of green tea. He enjoyed the silence as he sipped his hot beverage. Once they all finished, Katara poured a second cup for Aang, Leo, and herself before asking, "So you've fought these people before?" She looked up from her cup of tea at Leo across the table, Aang right next to her.

Leo should've known to expect them to ask something like that. He let out a deep sigh, took another sip of his tea, and set it down on the table. Leo removed his hood and answered, "Yes… we made first contact with them a few years ago. We'd just reached New York City from San Francisco when we were attacked by an unknown force. My wife and I were captured and given a taste of Tyravian hospitality: they cut off her hand and had a cobra spit venom in my eyes. The Tyrants would've gang raped her if it hadn't been for her cousin, who lead a rescue team that got us out of enemy hands. The fellow officer responsible for our capture resigned from his position to save face and surrendered himself to me, so as to make his integrity whole again and restore his honor."

"What did you do with him?" Aang asked, too curious to consider whether such a question was too personal. He immediately felt Katara shoot him a quick narrowed glance.

"I spared him and took him into my service," Leo simply replied. Aang had begun to think Leo was callous and unfeeling, but he smiled a little at this knowledge.

"You got a wife?" Katara inquired, wanting to change subjects.

Leo looked up from his tea, and slowly a smile grew on his face. The couple noticed his demeanor change. Thinking of his wife brought Leo a great sense of tranquility, "Her name is Camille Chenoa Hawkins, and to put it plainly she's my best friend. She's from the Tribes of the Draconche Confederacy. We met when she and her cousin, Dax, moved to San Francisco to attend the university I was enrolled in. After giving her a tour of Chinatown, I asked her to coffee, she said yes and we started dating soon after. We got married two years later and have two kids together, plus an adopted child. I'd show you photos, but I don't have any on account of this," Leo gestured to his eyes.

"Same with Toph," Katara considered, "I guess pictures aren't of any use to the blind."

"True, very true. I'll admit photos don't hold much value to me these days. But that doesn't mean we can't read. That's why Braille exists," Leo added.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Aang confirmed, "Toph doesn't read much, but the books she does read are written in Braille."

"What kind of stuff does a girl like that read?" Leo mused out loud. Toph didn't seem like the kind of person who read in her spare time, but rather someone who fought, spit loogies, and made vulgar jokes.

"Not much. Just the Art of War," Katara answered.

"Don't forget the Analects of Kong Zhu that her Aunt Suyin gave her," Aang put in.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. You read that more often than she does," Katara playfully nudged Aang with her elbow.

Aang shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I guess I'm just a deeper thinker."

Leo was glad their conversation had shifted to much lighter, and comfortable, topics: Leo's wife and books, and he felt a more relaxed aura in the room. He also felt they were comfortable enough for him to ask, "So what's the deal with those two? Are they always jerks?"

Katara sighed, "No, it takes time for Sokka to trust someone. Once he does, he's not that bad. But Toph…" she trailed off, trying to describe the earthbender honestly, but not in a bad way. Even though they'd known each other for a few years now, Katara and Toph still had their ups and downs.

"She pretty much a jerk all the time," Aang finished for her, "But after she warms up to you, three things are sure to happen:" Aang held up his hand and started counting off his fingers, "one) she shows affection by jabbing you in the shoulder, two) she gives you a nickname that can crawl under your skin if you let it, and three) she's got your back."

"Hm," Leo thought for a moment, "She must be the muscle of your little group?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Katara replied.

"Then what does that make Sokka?" Leo inquired.

"The mouth," she simply put it. Katara's answer caused Aang to burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! I thought he was the brains," Aang tried to get out amidst his laughter.

Katara turned to her boyfriend and countered, "Oh come on. All he does is complain, eat, and snore. And don't forget half the things he says are sarcastic."

"Okay, that's a good point," Aang conceded, aware Katara knew her brother better than anyone on the ship.

"Those two seem pretty tight," Leo noted before asking, "Are they a couple?"

"Pfft," Katara gave a short laugh at the thought of her brother's reaction to that question, "No, they're not. But they've always been thick as thieves."

"Sometimes literally," Aang remembered the time when Toph and Sokka pulled a series of scams, mostly Toph, the authorities called her the 'Blind Bandit', and they had to lay low for a while.

"Oh yeah," Katara laughed out, thinking back to that as well, "I can't believe nobody ever found out about that: not the White Lotus, Tenzin, Kuvira, no one."

"Remember what they did with the money they got from all those scams," Aang asked Katara, reminiscing the past memory.

"How could I forget. They were able to buy dinner for the whole village of Guanshui, and the mayor was so grateful he offered Sokka his daughter's hand in marriage. After we left, they had enough money to cover our entire date in Omashu," Katara treasured the memory of that date; it was when Aang and Katara had first said that they loved each other.

"So," Leo jumped back into the conversation, inquiring, "how did you two first meet?"

Digging into old memories, Aang and Katara had almost forgotten that Leo was there. Aang's mood became sullen as he answered, "Katara and Sokka found me working for the Triple Threat Triad. I was the first airbender in the Triad, and with that, they changed their name to the Four Seasons. Master Tenzin and the Air Nation took me in, but I never saw my guardian, Gyatso, again…"

Katara put her hand on her boyfriend's arm, knowing the subject of Gyatso was difficult for him to revisit, and he reciprocated as he put his hand over hers. She continued for him, "Once Aang got settled in, his training began almost immediately. Because the Order of the White Lotus, the organization Sokka and I belong to, often work close with the Avatar and the Air Nation, Aang and I got to see each other a lot. I'd always check up on him to see how he was doing. Then one day, he asked if I'd have lunch with him. I said yes and we started going out."

"So how long have you two been dating?" Leo asked.

"Almost three years," Aang answered.

"Wow. Congratulations," Leo replied.

"Thank you," Aang and Katara both responded together, sharing another glance and smile. Suddenly, there was a single knock on the galley doors. Before either of them could stand up to get it, Leo got up and went over. Opening the double doors, Momo stumbled in, walking on his hind legs. The lemur looked like he was having the hardest time trying to stay balanced, stumbling to the left and then to the right. The lids of his eyes looked heavy, like he was sleepy, but by the smell of alcohol on him, that wasn't the case.

The lemur tried to take to the air, but he just flopped onto the floor. Momo then wretched a mess of vomit.

"Oh my god. Seriously?" Aang grimaced at the absurdity; Momo was drunk. He went to pick the lemur up and take him to the sink to clean off any vomit on his pet, "Those two must've gotten so shitfaced they gave Momo some."

"Aang, the sink," Katara chastised, objecting to him using the place they cleaned their dishes to wash the wasted lemur.

"I'll clean it later, Katara. Airbender's honor," Aang promised before Momo puked again, this time in the sink.

"You better," she told her boyfriend, then turned to their guest, "Leo, can you open that window for me over there?" she pointed to a round window, opposite from the sink and counter area.

"Yeah, sure," Leo said, going over to the window, then opening it.

"Thank you," Katara flicked her wrist here and there, and as she did, the mess obeyed her motions and flew out the window.

"Okay, now that was cool," Leo pointed out the window at what Katara did, still not used to bending and amazed at how easy she'd cleaned the mess up, "And nifty. I guess bending can be used for more than combat."

"There are a lot of things people can do with bending," Katara accepted the praise, then took a spray bottle from under the sink and some paper towels from the counter. Even though the vomit was gone, she still needed to spray and wipe the spot with cleaner.

Aang had finished washing Momo in the sink and was drying him. The lemur was too disoriented to fight the bath.

"Aang, can you pass the trash can?" Katara asked as she wiped the spot.

"Sure," Aang replied, taking the can in the corner and setting it next to her; he then looked up at Leo, "So how wasted are they?"

Leo knew Aang was referring to Sokka and Toph since he could smell the alcohol from her room, "Well, they're more than wasted by now. They've had so much I'm surprised their livers haven't burst. And they're also…" Leo sniffed the air, and suddenly disgust washed over his face, "Ugh. Dear god."

"What? What is it?" a confused and Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.

Leo held up his hand as if to wave the question off, "Trust me, Katara, you don't wanna know."

The three in the galley stood there in silence, Katara trying to imagine what Leo was hiding, Aang thinking he pretty much knew what Leo was implying as he dried Momo, and Leo waiting for whatever their reactions would be, if they ever figured what he said they 'didn't want to know'.

* * *

Sokka couldn't remember much of anything at the moment. He didn't really have a grasp on where he was, one reason was that he was asleep. Then he began to feel sheets on his skin, along with sweat. He tried opening his eyes, but found even the slightest bit made his brain feel like it'd explode. His ears did the same with every sound. Sokka's head already felt like he'd taken a sledgehammer to the head and was swollen, so the light and noise of course made it worse. He figured he was hungover.

Sokka had been hungover before, but never this bad. He then heard a groan, not his own. He then realized he wasn't wearing any clothes underneath the sheets, and he felt bare, sweaty skin on his. Despite how sensitive his eyes were, he opened them to find himself spooning Toph; a naked Toph. Her back was up against his chest, his arm around her smooth, flat belly, and her bum in his crotch. Shocked by the situation, and position, he awoke to with the earthbender, he scooted back from her as everything set in.

Toph unconsciously groaned at the sudden loss of contact. There was a very good chance she didn't remember a thing that happened, but there was also a chance she might've enjoyed it. And Sokka had to admit he might've enjoyed it, too. Toph was indeed a very beautiful young woman, but the two of them had always been very close friends.

Sokka turned onto his back, holding his head as he moaned in agony. He opened his eyes, then was startled, "What the-"

Standing over them on Sokka's side of the bed was their scaly, red-skinned guest, arms crossed, "Good evening," holding a pitcher with his tail over the two in bed and poured iced cold water all over them. Sokka yelped, and Toph shrieked, in surprise, both jolted to full awareness.

"Oh my god. WHAT THE FUCK?" Toph uttered.

"It is five thirty in the evening and you two are so hungover, I could drop a pin and it'd ring like a gong in your ears," Leo started, "Aang wants to know which one of you gave Momo booze, Katara has hangover food for you in the galley, and I just fixed a little cup of tea with some special medicine especially for you, Toph. Ya know, so you don't end up knocked up with Sokhead's kid. It's on your nightstand."

Toph began to realize where she was and what happened. She couldn't remember anything from the past few hours, but she did remember the events from earlier that morning: the crash, the town, the bodies, their attackers, and Leo killing them. And after that, she started drinking… a lot. Then Sokka joined her, the two of them got shitfaced together, then Momo came in at one point, and then nothing. She felt she was naked and sore in her nether regions. She held the sheets to her chest to cover herself as she reached for the tea on her nightstand and, despite how hot it was, drank it as fast as she could. When she was done, she slammed it down, instantly regretting it as her ears rang in pain.

"Ah," Sokka groaned at the noise, "Not so loud."

Huffing deep breathes, Toph inquired to Leo, "What are you doing in here?"

"Aang and Katara sent me. They figured it wouldn't be as awkward since I can't see you guys naked," Leo responded.

Toph threw the tea cup at Leo in frustration. Instead of hitting Leo's face, he skillfully caught the cup and put it in the pitcher. With that, he walked out and slammed the door as hard as he could.

"AH!" Sokka exclaimed and Toph hissed, both holding their ears.


	6. Lessons and Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter VI

Sokka and Toph slowly, carefully made their way to the galley. As they opened the doors, they made a loud squeaking sound that felt like nails on a chalkboard. Sokka looked to see a few bowls and plates worth of food on the table, with his sister standing over it all, her arms crossed, ladle in her hand, and a scowl written on her face.

"Hope you two idiots slept well," Katara quipped sarcastically.

"Katara," Toph groaned as she and Sokka both held their ears, "not so loud."

"Well then, maybe you shouldn't drink so much… in the middle of the freakin' day. Or sleep with my brother," Katara chastised them, mainly Toph.

"Oh yeah? Well maybe-" Toph started but was interrupted when Katara took an empty pot and beat her ladle against it like a drum. Sokka and Toph both screamed in agony at the loud clanging. With that, Katara walked out through the double doors, then poked her head back in and said, "Just so you know, dear brother, Aang and I have been sharing a room for three weeks now and have not had sex yet, so if you have any objections now or in the future, remember yourself here and now."

Katara finally left, slamming the door as loud as possible.

* * *

 _The Great General said: the art of war is of vital importance to the State,_ Leo read the book he took from Toph's room, running his fingers over the bumps that made braille writing, _It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which on no account can be neglected._

Leo chuckled as he read, wondering who was the 'Great General' that wrote this book. He must've written the exact same book as Sun Tzu, word for word.

"What's so funny?" Aang asked as he steered the helm, bringing Leo out of his thoughts. He was sitting in the bridge, keeping Aang company while Katara whipped up some hangover food for Sokka and Toph.

"It's just…" Leo began, "The world where I grew up had a book just like this one, written by some general from long ago. His book goes by the same title and I swear the table of contents is identical. Even the first two lines are exactly the same. It's like these guys' brains were on the same frequency."

"No kidding," Aang gave his own chuckle at the coincidence.

"I kid you not. Hey, who exactly is the Great General?" Leo asked.

"He doesn't really have a name," Aang explained as best he could, "It's believed the manuel is a collection of strategic wisdom gathered from multiple sources, instead of one individual. I mean, who could possibly be that knowledgeable of one subject, especially with a subject like war."

Leo was a bit perplexed by the disdain in Aang's voice towards the end of his comment and replied, "Those who are knowledgeable of one subject, Aang, are what people call 'experts' and 'specialists'. And what do you mean by 'a subject like war'?"

Aang was taken aback a bit by Leo's response. He tried his best to answer, "Well, all war does is destroy things. It destroys peace, families, lives, and the very balance of the world. That's why it's better for people to just stop fighting and learn to get along. Everyone living in harmony with one another is possible, they just need to look past what divides them."

"But not everyone is willing to get along. There's always going to be a threat in the world, whether it takes the form of ignorance, fanaticism, or tyranny. We don't live in a perfect world, Aang. You can't expect everyone to achieve that kind of standard," Leo reasoned.

"W-what're you saying? That war is a good thing or that there's no hope?" Aang questioned, almost exasperated.

"I'm saying that we live in the real world, and that war is always inevitable. All we can do in life is hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. And when the worst comes for you, it takes more than skill alone to survive; it takes planning, strategy and tactics to survive the worst the world has to throw at you, and that's what the Art of War is all about: survival," Leo calmly explained his point.

"But the world doesn't have to be like that," Aang countered, "You'd be surprised what a few kind words can do; they can brighten one's day, or even turn over a new leaf."

"What? Turn over a leaf?" Leo raised an eyebrow at the phrase.

Aang rolled his eyes at Leo's ignorance of the phrase as he elaborated, "It means to turn one's life around."

"A few kind words of encouragement may do some good, but action is what's required to fix the world. Words won't solve the world's problems, action will. You don't fight injustice with kindness and understanding," Leo said calmly.

Aang stood there for a moment in silence just looking at Leo, then turned his attention back to the helm. Leo went back to reading.

Aang didn't like what Leo had said about war, and accepting the world as it was: broken, like he'd given up hope and settled. After three years of studying under Master Tenzin, Aang had taken his teachings to heart. Year of witnessing violence in the Triads had given Aang a strong distaste for it, and saw that violence only led to more of it. With the Air Nation, Aang was more than happy to put all that behind him.

However, Aang couldn't deny that Leo had made several valid points, and some of the things he'd said Aang had personally heard from Master Tenzin himself.

" _Always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. That is why we study airbending as a martial art, for the defense of one's person and others,"_ Aang recalled one of Tenzin's lessons, then he remembered the last part of it, _"But remember, we can never stoop to their level, otherwise we're no better than those who stand against us. Harsh words won't solve anything, action will. And we must be wise when deciding what actions to take."_

Aang gave a small smirk as he broke his silence, "Is it not wiser to meet might with reason, instead of arms? Violence just begets greater violence. One cannot stoop down to the level of those who begin the circle of conflict."

At this, Leo raised his eyebrows, brought back out of the words he was reading as Aang rekindled their little debate. He nodded his head, scratching his chin as he thought on the airbender's words, "Hm. That's a valid point, Aang."

Aang smiled at this, "Thank you."

"However, what if that might is without reason?" Leo asked.

"What?" Aang was caught off guard.

"Aang, sometimes people can't be reasoned with. Foes like that need to be neutralized, no 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts'. In that way, violence has its uses, but violence also has its limits," Leo closed the book and set it on the table in the middle of the room, "Here's a scenario: a man, his wife and their kids are all asleep in their beds one night, when all of a sudden, a stranger breaks into their home with malicious intent. What should the man do?"

"Defend his family, obviously," Aang immediately answered.

"Exactly. And does he have a right to do so by any means necessary?"

Aang thought for moment, "Anything within reason."

Leo's brow furrowed and let out a frustrated sigh, "What did I just say about that? Some people can't be reasoned with. Aang, I'm gonna present you with another scenario, and this time don't think about your answer. Just say the first thing that pops into your head, okay?"

"Spirits, alright," Aang swore as he replied, getting a little agitated.

"What would you do if someone was trying to rape Katara?" Leo asked bluntly.

At this, Aang's train of thought lagged, his eyes growing wide as he grimaced, "What?"

Leo leaned forward and repeated, "What would you do if someone was trying to rape your girlfriend?"

Aang tried to wrap his head around the question, then his mind shifted, as if on instinct, to the thought of his girlfriend, his Katara, being… he wouldn't dare imagine it. He focused his gaze at the alien and answered plainly, "I'd kill 'em."

Leo raised his eyebrows at Aang's response. He'd said that he wanted an immediate answer from Aang, but he was still slow to give one. However, in that moment it took him to answer, he sensed Aang's heart rate and breathing race, his thinking rushed, then he calmed himself as if his inhibition fell away. Leo knew that meant his instincts had taken over and his train of thought had come to a clear conclusion.

Aang was a bit surprised by his answer, but it was an honest one. He'd never, ever, let anything happen to Katara. He knew if anything were to happen to her, he'd hunt down whoever hurt her and tear them to shreds. His forever girl was off limits.

"And such is your natural right to do so. A man's sacred duty is to defend his family, even if that means giving his own life for them," Leo assured Aang.

"Wow… I never thought about it that way," Aang didn't know what else to say. He was unsure of how to feel after his whole debate with Leo, which actually ended in positive light.

The door to the bridge open and Katara came in. She came to the table in the middle of the room, her eyes scrunched closed. She hung her head and gave a small huff.

"Hey, sweetie. What's wrong?" Aang asked her.

"Toph got drunk, got my brother drunk, and then she slept with him," Katara vented about the obvious, then laughed a bit, "Haha. I also told Sokka that we're sharing a room."

Aang's eyes almost popped right out of his head as he exclaimed,whipping around to face her, "What!? Why?"

"Because he had sex with my best friend, and she had sex with him. Remember how immature and overprotective Sokka was when we first started dating? And Toph has been waiting for us to either tell Sokka ourselves, which he would freak out, or for him to find out on his own, which would also cause him to freak out," Katara voiced her vehement criticism of the two in the galley.

"Wait, I thought I was your best friend," Aang scrutinized the one detail.

"Don't be ridiculous, Aang. You're my boyfriend, which means you outrank her," Katara corrected him.

"Well… okay. I guess that's one less thing to worry about," Aang concluded, not wanting to ruffle her feathers any more than they were.

"Alright, you two lovebirds, what's the plan here?" Leo inquired.

Aang turned on the autopilot and stood at the table across from Katara. Covering most of the table were a bunch of maps, some of certain nations, specific regions, and one of the whole world. Aang brought his finger to a spot on a map of the Earth Kingdom, "We're right here, just off the coast of the Province of Omashu, which is in the southwestern region of the Earth Kingdom."

"Our destination is Ba Sing Se, on the opposite side of the entire continent. The city itself takes up almost the entire region," Katara said, "And then we have to reach Republic City, on the south coast of this arm of land west of Ba Sing Se."

"We may have to ditch the ship and just take Appa. It'd be easier and faster just to get there by air," Aang voiced his thoughts.

"We'd have to fly very high so that no one would see us," Leo rubbed his chin.

"Or Katara could bend the water in the clouds and make some kind of cloud camo," Aang proposed.

"Yeah, and Aang could help," Katara chimed in, "Clouds are made of water and air, afterall."

"That's not a bad plan," Leo grinned at the idea. He certainly never would've thought of using clouds as camouflage, "But in case we have to consider other options, what's the fastest route to Ba Sing Se?"

Aang gave a deep sigh then spoke up, "Well, the quickest route from where we are now is to travel north along the western coast, then go up the Hei Bai river to two giant lakes. They're only a few hundred miles from the outer wall of the city."

"But Aang, what about the ship? We can't just leave it behind unguarded. Even if we find a place to properly dock it, flying to and from Ba Sing Se would still take a few days; probably a week in total. That's too much time for some strangers to find it and take it," Katara pointed out.

"Then why don't we just go up the Zhang Tze river," Aang suggested, "It flows into the same lake and up to the Northern Air Temple. There's a point where it's the second closest body of water to the outer wall. Coincidentally, that's where a riverside village called Canglong is located. We can make port there, and trust the villagers to keep it safe and untouched for us."

"How do you know that?" Leo asked him.

"A while back, we helped them out with a bandit problem that, at the time, Kuvira's army neglected to address," Aang simply put it.

"That sounds solid. How much traffic would be on this route?" Leo asked.

"Well, there are quite a few stops along the way: an Earth Kingdom base, a few villages, the Great Divide," Katara pointed out on the map, "Why?"

"We need to stay out of sight; the more people see us, the easier it'll be for the Tyravians to find us," Leo told them. They both remembered the barbarian's last words _'the infiltration has already begun'_ before her took his own life.

"Alright, it seems flying to Ba Sing Se is our best option. We just need to fill Sokka and Toph in before we do anything," Leo concluded, " In the meantime, is there anything that needs to be addressed?"

"Yes. We are running low on a few supplies, including food. I just used up most of what we had fixing the hangover feast for Toph and Sokka, so we need more food; and a lot more of it now that we have one more mouth to feed," Katara added, gesturing to Leo.

"Just give me a fishing rod and some bait, and I'll get my own food. I don't want to be a burden on you," Leo held up his hand in a placating manner in response.

"Leo, don't be ridiculous. The food we get is gonna be for everyone, including you," Katara insisted, "Now, since Omashu is the closest place to resupply, and the White Lotus has a chapter there, I say we go there."

"Plus they have a stable where Appa can stay while we get what we need," Aang added, "And there's a port right next to the city. We can make port there."

"Sounds like we're going to Omashu," Leo deduced, then asked, "Really quick though, what's Omashu like?"

Aang and Katara exchanged glances before answering Leo's question. Katara started, "Legend has it that Omashu was founded by the first earthbenders ever, then named after them. They were lovers from two warring villages. When the man was killed in the war, the woman unleashed a devastating display of her prowess. But rather than destroy both villages, she declared the war over. Afterwards, a great city was built as a monument to their love. The woman's name was Oma, and the man's name was Shu. Ever since then, the mighty city of Omashu has stood strong."

Aang picked up, "It was one of the last Earth Kingdom strongholds during the Hundred Year War, until it was captured by the Fire Nation; but that was only a few months before Avatar Yangchen defeated Fire Lord Ozai, ending the war; and even that was after King Bumi the Great took the entire city back in one day."

"Wow…" Leo muttered, "Wasn't expecting a history lesson."

"However, Omashu today is more like a grand collection of casinos and hotels. Gambling, hookers, and gangsters are what define the city now, not its military might," Katara chided.

Leo laughed a bit in his throat, "Sounds like Vegas."

"What?" Aang voiced as Katara simply raised a brow.


	7. Hangover: The Night Before

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter VII

"... and that's ten silver pieces, five golden pieces, and twenty-five yuans," Katara handed the cash and coins to the shipyard master, "Inform whoever's in charge here that that ship is property of the Order of the White Lotus, and no one is to go near it."

"What business does the White Lotus have in Omashu?" the tall old man asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual. We're on an assignment and we need to resupply, and the closet chapter is in Omashu," Katara explained.

The man leaned forward to peak out the window at the docked ship, raising one of his big eyebrows at what he saw, "Is that an air nomad, and a sky bison on that deck?"

"Yes sir," Katara answered, "You know the White Lotus often works with the Air Nation. It's a joint-assignment."

"But what about that one right there?" the man pointed to Leo climbing up Appa's side and into the saddle, pack slung over his shoulder, "The tall one with the blue hood, red skin, and tail."

"Oh, he's uh…" Katara tried to think of something quick, making a believable excuse, "I kinda forgot what he is. Uuum, he's a… spirit. Haven't you ever seen a spirit before?"

"Oh. Well, of course I have. I mean, who hasn't these days?" the shipyard master reasoned in understanding.

Katara simply smiled as she thanked the old man, and in return he bid her farewell as she stepped out of the shipyard office, making her way back to the ship.

They'd reached the Earth Kingdom port just a few miles from Omashu. Aang was locking the double doors to below deck. After Katara's feast of hangover food the day before, Sokka and Toph were feeling much better, and were well enough to go travel as well. However, the two of them had hardly spoken to one another.

"Aang, did you lock the door to the bridge?" Katara asked.

"Sure did," Aang answered. He tossed the keys to her and she put them in her satchel. Aang's wing suit didn't have any pockets, so he'd often give some of his stuff to Katara to hold onto; except for one item in particular he had Toph hold onto… for reasons. She had pockets and he knew he could trust her with this secret.

He then picked her up bridal style and leapt fifteen feet in the air onto Aapa's head, Katara unable to contain her giggling.

"You know, you don't have to do that every time," Katara bubbled, not letting go of Aang.

"Would you prefer I didn't?" Aang jested challengingly.

"Well no, not really," Katara admitted. Momo flew from the back in Appa's saddle to the front with Aang and Katara, snuggling up in her lap. The two smiled at the lemur and each other. Aang grabbed the reins and called, "Appa, yip yip!"

With Aang's command, Appa rose from the deck and into the air, off to Omashu. Back in the saddle, Sokka and Toph sat apart from each other, minding their own business. Leo noticed the two almost ignoring each other. This was in stark contrast to the day before, both of them thick as thieves, always next to one another. That's how it was at first, their relationship mutually platonic, with the potential for something deeper.

Leo smiled a bit as he asked, "So Sokka, how'd you sleep last night?"

With his arms crossed, Sokka shrugged his shoulders and uttered, "Fine."

Leo then turned to Toph, who was leaning outward, chin resting on the edge, "What about you, Toph? Have any dreams last night?"

"No," she said.

"Well, it's good that you two are feeling better. Sure, we could've had one, or two, persons stay behind to watch the ship, but sticking together when you're on the run and being hunted is always a good idea," Leo said, trying to get them to talk.

"Whatever," Toph sibilated.

"Hm," Sokka sounded from the back of his throat.

Leo just focused his attention on them, as if he was looking at them, both paying the other no mind. Figuring neither of them was in the mood to talk, to anyone, Leo pulled out the book he took from Toph's room and picked up where he left off, _Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of his success. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots._

"Hey," Sokka suddenly exclaimed, "That's Toph's book. Where'd you get it?"

Leo simply answered, "Her room. Picked it off the shelf when I was waking you two up. I know I should've asked to borrow it before I took it, but it kinda seemed like a bad time. So I figured I'd take it then and ask later."

"Whatever," Toph uttered again.

"What? Toph!" Sokka turned to the petite earthbender, objecting to her lack thereof, "He just took something that belongs to you and you're gonna blow it off?"

"It's just a fucking book, Meathead," Toph snapped as she whipped towards Sokka, daggers in her milky eyes, venom in her voice, "In case you haven't noticed, I barely read anything. Besides, it's my book, so why should you even give a damn?"

"I… uuuh, just- just thought that, uuummm…" Sokka's couldn't think of a response.

"Oh, just shut up before you make yourself look even more stupid!" Toph exploded at Sokka, causing him to once again fall silent. Toph went back to brooding, Sokka went back to sitting in his little corner doing whatever, and Leo went back to reading.

On Appa's head, Aang and Katara couldn't help but overhear the conversation in the back. They both shared a look of concern. Katara moved speak to Toph, but Aang stopped her and shook his head. Understanding the expression on his face, she agreed and sat back down. She leaned her head on his shoulder, earning a small kiss from Aang.

-oOo-

"Wow," Leo said as he took it all in. He couldn't see anything, but he could sense it like radar. Omashu was made up of four pyramids in the middle of a giant crater with a thin path that lead to the entrance. Closer to the city, Leo could sense a few large buildings on the sides of the pyramids, as well as a series of fountains. This place definitely reminds him of Vegas.

Aang set Appa down on a platform atop the highest building of the second tallest pyramids. Everyone climbed off with their bags. A man dressed in the same uniform as Sokka and Katara approached and bowed as he addressed them, "Lotus apprentices Sokka and Katara, the Omashu chapter of the Order welcomes you. And of course it's always good to see one of Master Tenzin's students. But your arrival is a great surprise, Beifong; a most welcome surprise, indeed."

"Yeah yeah. Thanks for the shining welcome, kiss-ass," Toph replied.

"Hehe, you must be Toph," he said a bit awkward, then his eyes became like saucers at the sight of Leo, "And you… are?"

"Oh, um…" Leo thought for a moment, "Li. Li… Chan."

"Are you a spirit?" the man raised an eyebrow. With that, Leo decided that would be an excellent cover, just nodding as he went with it, "Yep. Sure am."

"Alright, the allow me to introduce myself: I am Tsao Pong," the man introduced himself.

With their introductions out of the way, Appa was taken to the stables and the five were given their own satomobile in case they needed to get more than they could carry themselves, and that possibility was great. There were three rows of seats in the car. Sokka drove, Aang sat in the front passenger seat next to him, Katara and Toph shared the middle row, and Leo took up the entire back row.

"Strip joint… bar… casino… another casino…" Leo called out the places they passed on their way to the market, "another strip joint… Oh, now that's out of place: a temple."

"Would you please shut up?" Sokka slowly groaned from the driver's seat.

"Why, Sokka? Does your head still hurt?" Leo teased him a bit from the very back, earning a small growl from Sokka and a sharp jab to the shoulder from Toph, which really didn't hurt.

"Ow, just shut up," Toph seethed in irritation. Leo held up his hands and shut his mouth, realizing he'd already been enough of a dick.

"How can you tell what each place is, Leo?" Aang asked.

"The smell of hormones from the strip joints, the alcohol from the bars, the sound of cards and chips from the casinos, and the incense from the temple," Leo listed off each one, "I think someone's getting married back there."

"How can you smell or hear any of that? The windows are rolled up," Katara wondered as she turned back to look at him.

"Cars aren't all that airtight, Katara. Air still manages to find its way in through the cracks. And I guess I just got a real good set of ears," Leo then flapped his pointed ears down and back up.

"Alright then, what are we getting?" Toph asked.

Katara took the shopping list from her bag that she'd prepared for the trip and read, "There's mainly food, hygiene stuff like toothpaste, soap and shampoo, dish soap, laundry detergent, and maybe some new clothes for our hitchhiker," Katara directed to the back.

"Much obliged," Leo figured it was pointless to refuse.

Finally in the marketplace, one thing after another was checked off Katara's list, right down to Sokka's favorite flavor of Flameo Instant Noodles and the extra-size clothes they got for Leo. Everything was found so quickly and efficiently, and everyone was so well behaved, and tired, Aang and Katara decided to treat the group to dinner. They found a little family-owned restaurant next to a temple.

"So, read the menu to us again?" Toph asked Sokka to re-read the menu to both her and Leo, since the restaurant didn't have any written in braille. The table they chose was round.

"Ugh, fifth times the charm, I guess," Sokka groaned as he began to read the menu again for the fifth time, "There's shrimp krill lo mein, house special fried rice, house special mei fun, sweet n' spicy tofu, mixed vegetable egg foo yong, smoked sea slug, sesame pork chicken, fried dumplings, teriyaki-"

"Just get me the house special mei fun, with a side of steamed buns," Leo interrupted, tired of hearing the same words repeated over and over again. It's was mainly Toph who needed to hear the menu repeatedly. Leo then asked, "They got any tea?"

"Uh… yeah," Sokka flipped to the back and read the options of tea, "There's green, white, chai, darjeeling, oolong, and jasmine."

"I'll have the jasmine," Leo picked the last one.

"You know, I'd like some of that, as well," Aang said from across the table.

"Yeah. Me too," Katara voiced next to him.

"How 'bout we have a pot for the whole party; for everyone," Sokka needed something to get his system clean. He drank so much alcohol the day beforehand, his still felt a bit sick to his stomach.

"What the hell? I'll have some, too," Toph joined in with the rest of the group.

The waiter came around, everyone ordered their food, and a full steaming pot of jasmine tea was brought to the table. Sokka and Katara remembered once having tea with a certain Grand Lotus who loved tea and pai sho. The waiter placed and filled a small cup at everyone's place.

"Thank you," Katara extended politely.

"You're most welcome," the waiter responded in kind, giving a slight bow. As he walked away, Leo couldn't help but notice something smelled a bit off with him. But Leo just shrugged his shoulders and took his cup of tea. Bringing it to his nose, the aroma brought a brief sense of tranquility. Leo then held his tea up, "I would like to propose a toast," the four humans focused on him, "To good samaritans."

Aang and Katara smiled in unison at Leo's gratitude and raised their cups as well. Toph and Sokka joined in, everyone's cups above the middle of the table, and all drank to the toast.

_-oOo-_

The dying radio sparked its last sparks, the bubbles in the jacuzzi tub overflowed, the painting nailed to the ceiling with a sword had slid down the blade and stopped at the handguard, and the turtle duck finished the bird seeds in the bowl on the table in the middle of suite. The turtle duck jumped off the table and wandered past Sokka, looking for something else to eat.

Sokka lied on the carpeted floor with his arms around a blow up doll, drooling. He was hoping this wouldn't happen so soon, but his head was once again aching with immense pain. Slowly, step by step, he opened his eyes, wiped the drool off, got himself a glass of water, and sat down on the couch. As he sat down, he realized he had no idea where he was. His eyes squinted, he looked around and saw he was in a trashed hotel villa. He saw the radio, the jacuzzi, the sword and the painting, and the turtle duck. Then he started to wonder where every one else was. He spotted a large bundle of sheets by the linen closet with a red tail poking out of it. It was obviously Leo.

Suddenly there was a rattling of metal cans from behind the bar by the jacuzzi. A dazed and disgruntled Toph crawled out from behind the bar and slowly worked her way to the couch area and sat down next to Sokka. She grabbed a pillow and covered her ears with it. He tried not to look at her too much due to her lack of pants, and underwear.

Sokka leaned his head back and groaned, "Ugh… where are we?"

"What the fuck happened last night?" Toph grumbled, still able to hear despite the pillow, "Leo?"

"Don't look at me," Leo groaned in defense from within his cocoon of blankets, "Goddammit, why do my ears hurt as much as my head?"

"Haha. Look who's hungover, now," Sokka gave a weak chuckle at Leo.

"Haha," Leo laughed sarcastically in return, then countered, "Look who's hungover twice in the same week," Sokka backed off as both he and Toph inwardly frowned in shame and embarrassment at the truth of his words, "Now why do my ears hurt?" Leo unwrapped the sheets around him and stood up as steadily as he could.

"I don't know, dude. You seem fine to me," Toph said.

But Sokka could see what Toph couldn't, and he burst out laughing, then gripped his head at the pain.

"What? What's so funny!?" Leo demanded.

"Yeah, Sokka. What is so funny?" a confused Toph questioned.

Sokka managed to get a enough control of his headache and laughter to answer, "Leo's ears are pierced."

"WHAT?" Leo yelled in shock, then bent over and cradled his head. Flabbergasted, he reached up and felt his earlobes with small earrings, then muttered, "Oh my God."

"Haha. We must've been pretty drunk last night for you to not remember getting your ears pierced," Toph chuckled as she went digging for gold up her nose, then felt something in the way, "Wait. What the…"

Sokka turned to her, "Oh Spirits. Toph, your nose is pierced."

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she turned to him, a smile on her face, "Really? Are you serious?! Please tell me you're not joking."

"Uh, no I'm not joking. You have a nose ring," Sokka told her, surprised at her unexpected excitement at her piercing.

"Oh man, this is awesome. I always wanted to get a piercing, but my parents wouldn't let me, being Gaoling Beifongs; and even though my Aunt Suyin and Uncle Bataar let my cousin, Huan, get his eyebrow pierced, but wouldn't let me get a piercing so as not to cause conflict with my parents," Toph went on in depth about that part of her past.

"Whoop-dee-doo for you. You do know your not wearing any pants and Sokka is trying not to look at your vagina," Leo told her.

Toph suddenly came to full alert when she realized she was, in fact, pantless. She took the pillow she was covering her ears with and covered herself, "Sokka, get out."

"What? But why ju-" he started but was abruptly cut off.

"I said GET OUT!" Toph shouted to the top of her lungs, instantly regretting it. All three grasped their heads.

"Will you keep it down? My head is about to explode, and I assume so is yours. So do yourself a favor and please be quiet," Leo softly growled through his teeth.

"Hey, where are Aang and Katara?" Sokka pointed out.

"Check all the rooms, they've gotta be here," Leo told him.

As Sokka left to check room after room for his sister and the air nomad, Leo grabbed the sheets he'd been swaddled in and handed them to the petite earthbender, "Here, Toph. You can cover yourself with these until we find your clothes."

"Thanks," she accepted the blankets and wrapped them around her waist as Leo sat down on the couch across from her. He took pillow and covered his ears, then uncovered them due to his piercings.

"Hey, Toph," Leo began, "You said about us being so drunk that we don't remember getting piercings last night, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?" she said as she sat back down.

"Well, I don't even remember us ordering alcohol. The last I remember from last night is the toast with the tea, then our food was brought to us and that's it. Nothing else," Leo recalled.

Toph thought back to the night before, and just like Leo, the last thing she remembered was the tea, the food, and nothing else; no alcohol. She speculated aloud, "Well, we must have ordered drinks because this is what a hangover feels like, and that's what too much liquor does to ya."

"Well here, let me get us some painkillers and some water. And who knows, maybe there's something else in here that can help," Leo got up and went to the kitchen; he could tell where it was cause he could smell the food. He found the medicine cabinet, went through the pill bottles and found some naproxen sodium. Going through the other cabinets, the pantry and the fridge, Leo found some green tea, honey, ginger, bananas, and some eggs: all perfect for a hangover breakfast. He took the pills and two glasses of water into the living room, and gave two to Toph and two to himself.

"Thanks," she graciously accepted the meds and the water, popping them in her mouth the downing them with the clear drink. Leo told her about what he'd found in the kitchen and asked her if she'd like some. She said yes due to the fact Katara once told her eggs and green tea helps cure hangovers.

"HOLY FUCKING SPIRITS!" Sokka screamed from down the hall, both in the living room jerked their heads towards the sound. Then there was a roar from the same direction. Leo stood up as fast, and as steady, as he could and extended his claws from his fingers, ready for a fight. Toph got his her mantis style stance.

Sokka zipped right in front of them from the hall, out of breath and his heart racing in terror. He looked up at them, "MY NIPPLES ARE PIERCED!"

For a silent moment, Leo and Toph just stared in his general direction, trying to contain their laughter. Unable to contain it, both burst into strong and loud fits, holding their heads as they did so. Sokka scowled at them, upset and embarrassed. Leo and Toph both fell back into the couches, holding their guts.

"We must've been super messed up last night," Toph cackled.

"Yeah. We must've been for Sokka to get his nipples pierced," Leo added, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, trying to settle himself down, "Okay, have you found Aang and Katara?"

"No. I've looked everywhere and they're not here. I found our clothes, by the way. But the last room I checked, a bathroom, with a mirror, because bathrooms have mirrors; but anyway, I open the door, look in the mirror, and that's how I found out my nipples are pierced. Then I hear this low growling coming from the other side of the bathroom, and sitting there is a freakin' polar bear dog."

With that bit of information, Leo was able to calm himself as he rubbed his temple, "Oh dear goodness. What is a polar bear dog?"

Sokka facepalmed and let out a frustrated sigh, "The name is pretty self-explanatory, Leo. It's a large animal that members of the Southern Tribe used to fear and hunt; that is until Avatar Korra tamed one and made it her animal guide."

"Alright, then let's just get our clothes and get outta here," Leo told Sokka and Toph.

"What about Aang and Katara?" Toph asked.

"I've known you four for a few days and I can already tell that Aang and Katara are the responsible ones," Leo tried to reassure them, "They're probably back at the White Lotus building waiting for us."

"That does sound like Katara. I can already imagine her tapping her foot in disappointment," Sokka calmed down a bit, "But what are we gonna do about the polar bear dog?"

"Leave it, Meathead! Whoever it belongs to can find it on their own. I'm not dealin' with a wild animal that can bite me in half," Toph asserted. Sokka and Toph retrieved their clothes, which were in the laundry room, and folded, and even brought Leo his. Leo cooked them a breakfast with green tea with honey and ginger, and he also found some turmeric to put in the eggs.

They all sat at the table and ate a good breakfast. After taking a sip of tea, Sokka asked both Leo and Toph, "You sure it's okay to just leave that polar bear dog in there."

"Yep," Toph answered bluntly.

"Sokka, relax," Leo assured him and explained, "We'll leave a note with a warning about the dog for housekeeping when they come by, later. That way, they don't find it by accident and get eaten. And the hotel can take care of everything from there. End of story."

Sokka felt that seemed like a good enough plan and went back to his food. After finishing their meal, the three immediately started feeling better. Their clothes on their backs, and their hangovers nearly gone, they headed back to the White Lotus chapter building in the city.


	8. Hangover: The Morning After

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter VIII

Sokka, Toph, and Leo woke up in their hotel room, but there was no sign of Aang or Katara. They were having a hard time remembering the events that unfolded the night before. They decided to walk back to the Omashu Chapter of the Order of the White Lotus. These very circumstances reminded Leo of a movie back on Terra. Toph just hoped she hadn't slept with Sokka again, and Sokka hoped that they would find Katara and Aang at the chapter building.

The three managed to find their way back to the White Lotus building. The group was met by the same man they met on the roof the night before, Tsao Pong. He looked both concerned and relieved to see them, "Oh Spirits, where have you been all night?"

"Uh… um, well, it's a long story," was all Sokka could come up with. "Maybe one my sister and her boyfriend can fill you in on?" Sokka hopefully asked.

"Are they with you?" Pong asked.

"No. Why? Are they not here?" Sokka questioned, growing concerned and scared.

"No, they're not. We thought you were all together the whole night," Pong told them.

"Oh fuckin' spirits, this cannot be happening right now," Sokka groaned under his breath, his paranoia growing with each second. His breathing increased as he gripped his head and rubbed his neck in anxiety. He paced around mumbling to himself as Toph stepped up and asked Pong, "Do you have any idea where they might be, or where they went? When was the last time you saw them?"

Pong scratched his chin in thought, "The last I saw them was when the five of you were returning your satomobile. There were lots of supplies in both the trunk and on the roof. Honestly, I could tell that you were a bit… off."

"What do you mean 'off'?" Leo asked.

"Well, you were all acting a little strange. It seemed as if you were either drunk or high, which could get you in serious trouble with the Order of the White Lotus," Pong described to them, ending with a warning.

Sokka was already a nervous wreck, and now he was becoming an even bigger one. He began to pace faster and his breathing became more rapid. Sokka's heartbeat was getting annoying to both Toph and Leo. Toph stomped her foot and he sunk into the ground up to his knees, bringing him to a halt.

"Thank you," Leo extended his gratitude to the earthbender with a smile on his face.

"You're welcome," Toph accepted, a smile on her face as well.

Leo turned back to Pong to explain, "Now sir, if the drugs were given to them without their knowledge, they can't possibly be held accountable for something like that, right?"

"Hm, I suppose not," Pong seemed to see Leo's logic, "But the disappearance of an Air Nomad and a White Lotus apprentice does merit concern."

"Listen, you don't have to worry about that, okay? Because wherever they are, we'll find them," Leo assured him, returning to the topic at hand. "Now after we arrived here last night with the car, what did you see happen next?"

"Well, you were all talking about getting drinks at some fancy bar."

"Cool, did we happen to mention which bar we were going to?" Toph took a turn with the questions.

"I think it was… um…" Pong struggled trying to remember, then he snapped his fingers, "Ah, the Misty Palms Oasis."

"WHAT? That's on the edge of the Si Wong desert. How did we make it there and back to Omashu in one night?" Sokka questioned loudly from his spot.

"No, that's a bar here in the city. It was named after the very place Avatar Yangchen visited before she and her friends got stranded in the desert," Pong explained to them, giving Sokka some much needed relief.

"Great. Could you tell us where that is, exactly?" Toph asked.

"Of course. It's downtown, the fourth place to the right on Bumi Boulevard. Just take the central street and turn left," Pong directed them.

"Thank you, sir" Leo extended.

"But before you go," Pong stopped them before they left, "If you three are going to look for them on your own, I must notify you that it's protocol that if the missing persons are not found within forty eight hours, the Order is required to conduct an official search."

"Okay, thank you very much. Like I said, don't worry, we'll find them in no time," Leo turned and walked off into the city. Toph stomped her foot again and Sokka went flying out of the hole, landing on his face with his feet above his head. She yanked him to his feet and caught up with Leo.

They made their way back downtown and found the 'Misty Palms Oasis'. The bartender told them that after a few drinks, they'd gone to a tattoo parlor a little farther down the street. The tattoo artist was giving some big guy a sleeve with waves as he told the three, "All I know is that there were five of you, some of you wanted tattoos, some wanted piercings, and some wanted both."

"I'm just curious: what all did we get?" Toph asked.

"Well, let me think," the artist scratched his head, then his eyes popped, "Oh yeah, the airhead got a yang symbol on his right shoulder and a Water Tribe insignia over his heart. His hot girlfriend got a yin symbol on her left shoulder, an air nomad insignia in the middle her upper back; sensual, but not too risqué, and a belly button piercing. Now this girl was smoking hot, I mean down right gorgeous. That airbender guy is a very lucky dude to be dating a beauty like that. And oh yeah, I forgot; she's your sister," he snapped his fingers and pointed to Sokka, who just grunted in response, scowl on his face.

The tattoo artist continued, starting with Sokka, "You didn't get any tatts, but you did, for some weird reason, want your nips pierced. We've done it for guys before, but I just still think it's odd. Now a chick with pierced tits, that's sexy," Toph cleared her throat and he carried on, "Anyway, the small earthbender got herself a nose ring, no tatts either. The big guy just got his ears pierced, but a very interesting tattoo: a dragon with its head on his chest, going over the right shoulder, and ending with the tail along the upper back."

"Well now I want a tattoo," Toph blurted.

"Did we say anything about where we were going before we left?" Sokka asked.

"Actually, yeah. You guys said you were going to a temple," the artist said, then asked, "Do you seriously not remember any of this?"

"Nope, nothing. I guess we got a little more messed up later on," Leo said.

"Can we please focus?" Sokka redirected them, "Why would we go to a temple?"

"The airbender got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. Gave her an old-fashioned betrothal necklace. She said yes and June over there," he pointed to another artist working on a girl's lower back, who waved in response, "told them about the temple just down the street. Where are those two, anyway? Having some time alone, perhaps? Ya know, sealing the deal?"

Sokka went over to the waiting area and hunched over, hands covering his face, quietly muttering to himself. At this point, he was on the edge of freaking out.

"Okay, we get the idea. Thank you very much," Leo extended gratitude and left. Toph followed, dragging Sokka out of his seat and out the door.

They found the temple just around the corner. It was rather plain and simple; nothing too extravagant, but definitive and to the point. The owner of the place caught sight of them in the foyer and gave a very warm welcome, "Hey, hey, hey. It's good to see you guys again. Come here," he hugged each person at a time, each just standing there in confusion, "What's the matter, y'all? No love for Chong? You don't hug me?" disappointed when no one hugged him back.

"Uuuum… hello," Sokka uttered, still struck with confusion. Toph just waved awkwardly.

"Uh- Hello, Chong. It's good to see you, too… I guess. But listen, we're in a bit of a pickle and we're having trouble remembering, so maybe you can help us with that?" Leo began, trying to get straight to business.

"Sure, man. Had too much drink at the reception?" Chong laughed as he nudge Leo with his elbow.

"Yeah, I guess so," that sounded about right to Leo as he nodded.

"Haha, you guys already seemed a bit tipsy when you came in," Chong continued.

Sokka couldn't take it anymore and cut in, "Alright, we get it: we were all drunk. But right now, we're looking for my sister and her boyfriend. So please tell us what happened here last night."

"Yeah, we heard from a tattoo parlor that Twinkle Toes popped the question to Sugarqueen and they came here for their wedding. Did they get married last night? And for the sake of this guy's sanity," she pointed to Sokka, "please say no."

"Okay. No," Chong answered plainly.

But after a moment of awkward silence, Sokka leaned in and nervously asked, "But… did they really?"

"Oh yeah, sure did," Chong said honestly this time. Sokka heaved over and gripped his head as if he were afraid it might fall off. Toph rubbed his back in an effort to calm him. Leo couldn't help but laugh his head off at Sokka's reaction.

"Woah, man, are you okay? You seemed so happy about this last night and now you're freaking out about it? What's the problem?" Chong asked in concern.

"Overprotective brother instincts. Plus the two lovebirds are kinda missing, so he's more worried than the rest of us," Toph explained.

"Why don't you just call the cops?" the woman fixing an arrangement of flowers in the sanctuary cut in.

"Oh yeah. Thanks, Lily," Chong called back to her.

Toph sighed and said, "One: the cops can't look for any missing persons unless they've been missing for forty eight hours, and two: we wanna keep this on the down low. Don't wanna draw any attention to ourselves."

"Hm. Well, okay. Good luck," Chong wished them luck then turned to Sokka, "Do you at least wanna see the photos from last night?"

"Sure. But first, can you tell us if anything happened during the reception, or after?" Leo asked, hoping for some new bits of information.

"Oh yeah, Sokka here made a wonderful speech and when everyone started dancing, he and the little earthbender started kissing," Chong told them.

"WHAT?!" Sokka and Toph exclaimed in unison. Leo once again burst into a fit of laughter at their combined reaction.

"Yeah, and then you guys announced that you were dating," Chong added again.

At that point, Sokka and Toph didn't want to know any more than that. Chong gave them a complete album filled with photographs, and they thanked him for his help as they went on their way. On their way out, Toph gave Sokka a hard jab to the shoulder, and it wasn't one of her affectionate ones; this one was angry and threatening. She then growled, "Just so we're clear, we are not dating."

Sokka rubbed his shoulder, "Agreed."

"Hey, guys," they heard from a ways off behind them. The three turned around and Sokka saw none other than Prince Wu of the Earth Kingdom. He came right up to them and brought them all into one big awkward group hug. Toph just narrowed her eyes and delivered a weak jab to Wu's stomach. Wu stepped back and heeled over, grasping his gut, coughing and trying to regain his breath, "What the- okay, I remember now: boundaries. Sorry."

"I'm guessing you two know this guy?" Leo asked Sokka and Toph.

"Not really. No," Sokka answered bluntly.

"What are you guys talking about? We hung out a ton last night; had a big-ass party," Wu told them as he recovered his breath, "Don't you remember?"

"No, we don't. Why would we say otherwise?" Toph firmly expressed.

"Oh, let me guess: you guys probably drank more than you should, right?" Wu realized.

"Obviously," Sokka said.

"Wow, this is awesome. You guys don't even remember the crazy shit that went down last night, do you?" Wu kept on in astonishment.

"I think that's been made abundantly clear. So please just tell us what happened last night," Leo strongly insisted, growing rather impatient.

Wu took them to an outdoor café and explained everything he could.


	9. Hangover: The Fight

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter IX

Wu took them to an outdoor café and explained everything he could, "We happened to be at the same bar and you guys said that you'd just come from a wedding. Kinda clear whose wedding it was, if ya know what I mean. That Air Nomad guy and that Water Tribe girl were all over each other; if they weren't drinking, they were either kissing or saying 'I love you', sweet talking, stuff like that. The big guy here," Wu pointed to Leo, "seemed like he was holding back, drinking only light stuff. I told him he needed to treat himself a little, so I took the five of you to the biggest casino in the city, the Shamballa, where they serve the best rice wine; absolutely divine. And of course we ended up doing some gambling. Now this guy," he pointed to Leo again with enthusiasm, "this guy is one hell of a lucky spirit; a walking good luck charm, if ya ask me. I honestly still can't believe how much money we won last night. And then we met this tough guy with a real funny personality: Sun Wukong. But I found out later that he's a freelance hitman for several triads, so if you ever see him again, walk the other way. I even got a picture of him so you know who I'm talking about," Wu took a photo from his pocket and slid it across the table to the trio. Sokka was the only one who could see it.

"Thanks," Leo said as Sokka took the photo. The man in the picture was scruffy and had a full beard, tiny mustache, and he had a small, almost flat nose, kinda like a monkey.

"Is there anything else you can tell us? Like what happened after that, who did we meet or run into?" Sokka inquired after looking at the photo.

"Yeah, we ran into Avatar Korra. It was so awesome, she and her friend, Asami Sato, were here and we did a few shots. Then we all took turns riding Naga," Wu went on about their antics.

"Who's Naga?" Leo questioned.

"Oh, Korra's polar bear dog," Wu said, "She's actually gone missing."

"Wait, the same one locked in our bathroom at the hotel?" Sokka inquired.

"You guys have her locked in your bathroom?" Wu asked stupefied, "Why do you have her?"

"We obviously don't know, dumbass. We got so drunk and fucked up last night that we don't remember a thing," an angry Toph cursed vehemently at the prince, her patience thinning and frustration growing.

"There you are!" the four heard an angry female voice from afar. Sokka looked towards the source and saw Avatar Korra herself walking fast at them as if she were charging, eyes staring daggers at them, especially Wu. With a worried look and smile on his face, he got up from his seat with his hands held up in a placating manner, trying to play it cool, "Hey, Korra. Look, I can explain; I had nothing to do wi-"

He was interrupted when she grabbed him by his shirt, almost roaring as she interrogated him, "Save the excuses, ya weasel. Where's Naga?"

"Korra, stop it. There's no need to make a scene," the other girl with her put a hand on Korra's shoulder to calm her down.

Before Korra could respond, Leo broke her grip and pushed her back away from Wu, his voice stern, "Hey, cool it, missy!"

"What the- who are you?" Korra inquired, her friend helping her to her feet. Korra would normally maintain her balance after being pushed, but was thrown off guard by this guy's strength.

"Korra, just calm down," Korra's light skinned friend demanded and stepped in front between them, bowing to Leo, "I apologize for my friend's behavior, spirit. She's usually much better with your kind."

"No, Asami, that's not-" Korra was interrupted.

"Avatar Korra," Sokka addressed as he and Toph stepped in front of Leo, "We apologize for our spirit friend. He's just new to city life," Sokka tried his best to excuse Leo's actions.

"What? He's not a spirit. His energy's not right. But I'm guessing he might've gotten on a spirit's bad side?" Korra corrected everyone, feeling his energy was not that of a spirit, but a mortal person who was flesh and bone. She also assumed he'd made a spirit mad and it had phased through him, causing him to look as he did.

"Wow. So you're the Avatar these two and their pals have told me so much about," Leo was impressed, then explained candidly, "You're right, I'm not a spirit, but I've never pissed one off before, and I honestly don't know what that has to do with anything."

"What?" Wu uttered, dumbfounded, "Then how'd we win all that money? Just luck?"

"Well then, what are you?" Asami asked, a bit cautious.

"It's a long story," Leo simply put.

"Yeah, and one we can save for later," Sokka pressed as he got back to the matter, or matters, at hand, "Avatar Korra, it's not Prince Wu's fault. We took Naga."

"Where is she?" Korra demanded.

"She's in the bathroom at the hotel we stayed at," Toph answered.

"Which one?"

"I'd put them in my usual suite at the Jade Emperor's Palace. It's where I stay whenever I come to Omashu," Wu told them.

 _So that was his suite we woke up in,_ Leo thought to himself.

As Prince Wu lead them to the hotel, Sokka said to Korra and Asami, "Avatar, Miss Sato, we're extremely sorry this happened. We kinda had too much to drink last night."

"Yeah, so much they don't remember anything from last night," Wu humorously added from the front.

"Will you shut up already?" Toph bellowed in annoyance, "Also, remember Aang and Katara?"

"Sure," Korra said.

"They make such a cute couple, don't they?" Asami threw in.

"Anyway," Sokka pressed them to refocus, "we're asking because they're kinda missing, too. Is there anything you can tell us about last night?"

"Well, you two went to a strip club," Korra pointed to Sokka and Toph, "and you got a certain criminal's attention."

"Who?" they both asked in unison.

"Zhao the Admiral. Runs a smuggling ring in over two dozen ports throughout the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and the United Republic. He's the right-hand-man to Ozai of the Agni Kai Triad," Asami took out a file from a binder she was carrying and gave it to Sokka. He looked like a normal guy, the only thing about him that stood out was his large sideburns. He also had the expression of someone who always holds all the cards, pride, confidence and arrogance in his eyes and grinning.

"He followed you two back to the bar we were all at, and then he got into a fight with your friend," Korra said, referring to Leo.

"Hope it wasn't too bad," Leo replied.

"You sent him to the hospital, then in response to his backup, you ended up starting a riot," Korra remarked.

"What?" Leo gasped, shocked at the revelation. Sokka and Toph were surprised as well.

"Yeah, most of the city is tired of the Agni Kais, so they were more than eager to join. They marched down to the 'Ash Maker' district and trashed it; that's why downtown looks untouched," Asami reported.

Leo started, "Wow. So what happened-"

He was interrupted when he was unexpectedly shot into the air by a pillar of earth and pounced by another individual mid-air, sending Leo flying twenty yards. His attacker then grabbed his foot and threw him another ten into a shop.

Before anyone could respond, the assailant stomped his foot, scattering the whole group all over the street. He then shot rocks at Toph and Korra the hardest to knock them out.

"At long last," he uttered under his breath as he marched into the shop, Leo in a pile of debris and rubble, grabbed the back of his robe, "You son of a whore," and threw him back outside. People were screaming and running from away from the scene in the middle of the street.

He was tall, had two horns on his chin, three fingers and two thumbs, as well as a tail; he was Tyravian. His armor was the same as the savages from the village; he was an Obrachani. But not just any Obrachani: this was Türahn Vladimiran. His legs and forearms had these large boots and gauntlets with small green lights on them.

He came storming out of the shop, his blood boiling with fury, "I've been vaiting long time for dis!" his fist cocked as Leo got to his feet, he delivered a hard hit, sending Leo back ten yards again.

Korra then came flying in with a burning fire kick to his torso. He just held his arms up to block as he stood there and took the heat. She flipped over him and spun around with a hook kick, whipping a boulder at him. He easily caught it and split it in half with a single strike. He took both halves and smashed them together. Korra flipped backwards out of the way. Türahn let out a blood-curdling roar. Korra took a deep breath and got into a calm stance. He put one of the boulders down and curl his fingers, slowly closing his fist; she then found herself sinking, the hard ground beneath her turned to quicksand. The ground re-hardened at her waist. He was earthbending.

Türahn had a wicked grin on his lips as he charged and brought both halves from both sides at her. Korra was able to stopped them with her earthbending, but he kicked her in the head and wrapped his tail around her neck. He then delivered a hard punch to her face. Korra struggled to get air in her lungs as he choked her. She clawed at his tail to free herself, but to no avail. Her face grew red.

As the Avatar's face changed from red to purple, Leo had recovered and got to his feet. He sprinted towards Türahn, took out a throwing knife, and aimed for his tail. The knife hit its mark and Leo kicked the back of his legs in, the tail unwrapping itself from the Avatar's neck. Korra gasped for air, her lungs in urgent need of it. Leo gripped Türahn by the arm and threw his opponent over his shoulders.

Türahn rolled to a stop and plucked the knife from his tail, a soft laugh coming from his throat. He threw it back and Leo caught it, right in front of his face. He wiped the blood off and put it back in its sheath.

"I almost forgot vhat good fighter you are… for blind man," Tühran taunted, pointing at Leo in a challenging manner.

"You're earthbending," Leo observed in disbelief, "How're you doing that? Tyravians can't bend anything."

"You like?" Tühran queried as he brandished his gauntlets and boots, "Latest tech from labs. Allows vearer to do same magic tricks as natives," he reached out for the boulders he'd had and they floated back to him. Türahn launched them back at Leo with a spinning double kick.

Leo dodged left and right as he swiftly closed the distance between him and his opponent. Leo first pushed his arms out of the way and began delivering a series of punches to his face and torso. He punched the diaphragm and shattered something made of glass.

"No!" Türahn cried as the lights on his gauntlets and boots went out. He managed to grapple Leo and hurled him against a wall. He jumped and cocked his fist. Leo moved his head out of the way and Türahn's hand went right through the wall. Türahn press his forearm against Leo's throat, pinning him there, and brought his free hand back, "This is for breaking my new toy," a blade sprung forth from his gauntlet and he drove it forward. Leo caught it with his tail and kicked Türahn back, removing his gloves in the process. Leo caught both his arms, but was almost head butted. He smashed Türahn's crotch with his knee, took a deep breath, and unleashed an inferno from his mouth directly in his face. His face ablaze, Türahn screamed in agony as Leo spun around and stomped his knee from the side. Korra, who'd regained full consciousness and freed herself, splashed a globule of water on Türahn's face, putting out the fire.

Türahn's face looked a little melted, but it wasn't too bad. He was still recognizable, but his hair was gone. Leo didn't take any chances and swung the gauntlet he had at his chin, sending him on his back. Korra was still battered from her fight with Türahn, on her knees and collecting herself. She'd been in a lot of fights and had been hit pretty hard, but this guy didn't need to land several hits to win, he just needed to hit something once. Leo went to help Korra to her feet and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Korra replied, then asked, "What are you and who is he?"

"Basically, I'm an alien that's half human and half dragon, and that," Leo pointed to a beaten Türahn and explained, "is Türahn of the Vladimiran family. They're a house of noble status in the Tyravian Empire. He, like many of his kin, is a member of a secret society of elite warriors called the Obrachan… and he's an asshole."

Sokka had manage to recover and was tending to Toph; she'd been hit pretty hard in the head and there was a chance she had a concussion. Korra was checking Asami for injuries, but only found a few bruises. Leo discovered Wu hiding under a cart, curled up in a ball; Leo half-expected to find him sucking on his thumb. The prince mumbled over and over again, "Wu down, Wu down, Wu down…"

Türahn began to chuckle as he regained his breath. Everyone was regrouping as Leo went over to him and yanked him up by his collar, interrogating him, "What're you doing here?"

"Sightseeing," Türahn choked out sarcastically, "And you?"

"That's none of your business," Leo countered, his mood serious and unchanging, "Now why are you here?"

"Business as usual," Türahn weakly, yet casually answered.

"Hey, I recognize that voice," Toph called out, "He's the waiter from the restaurant. He must've drugged us."

Leo gave a few sniffs and realized it was the same scent as the waiter the night before. Sokka took a sword from a weapons vendor and held it to Türahn's neck and demanded, "Where's my sister?"

Leo sensed Türahn remove one of his teeth with his tongue. He was about to bite down when Leo took hold of his bottom jaw and yanked it open, dislocating it. Türahn squealed at the pain.

"Hey, he's beaten!" Korra protested the excess hostility, "You don't have to torture him."

"I'm not torturing him," Leo countered, reaching into Türahn's mouth and taking the tooth. Leo rattled it a bit and heard something inside, most likely a capsule of cyanide. Leo pocketed it for safekeeping and pushed Türahn's jaw back in place.

"Talk," Leo demanded.

"Alright,." Türahn gave up and began to confess, "Intel got vord zhat you vere traveling vith four humans to Omashu. My superiors sent me vith top agent to vork alongside local syndicate to locate and eliminate targets. Ve tried discretion, but zhere vas mix up. I grabbed wrong vial and instead of mixing tea vith tranquilizer, I poured cannabis leaves."

"You got us high on marijuana?" Leo roared in disbelief.

"I always wanted to try weed," Toph mentioned on the side.

"Oh shut up, Toph!" Leo ordered then turned back to Türahn and growled, "The Air Nomad and Water Tribe girl; where are they?"

Türahn threw up his hands in a placating manner, "I don't know. I svear."

"Why's he talking like that?" Asami asked, her eyebrow raised.

"It's his accent," Leo answered. He never knew why Tyravian speech sounded like Russian; maybe that was the closest comparison he could think of.

Sokka pushed Leo aside and kicked Türahn onto his back. He took out a knife and straddled him, holding it above his eye and threatened, "You'd better tell us where my sister and my friend are, or I swear I'll make you spill every secret you've ever kept your whole life."

Leo put his hand on Sokka's shoulder, "Sokka, you don't have to-"

Sokka sharply interrupted Leo, yanking his shoulder away, "Shut up, Leo! Is it your sister we're trying to find? No? Then shut up!"

Despite the dark look in Sokka's eyes, Türahn chuckled as he mocked, "You think some menacing words and fierce gaze vill make me talk? You're nothing but little boy pretending to be man."

Sokka punched Türahn square in the mouth. His head recoiled against the ground and felt a tooth or two fall loose.

"Hold his head, Toph," Sokka ordered.

"Sokka, stop. He's telling the truth," Toph testified. She and Leo could sense his heartbeat, and it didn't skip a beat in his answers. Sokka turned to her, and he knew from the look in her dull eyes.

Sokka got off Türahn and Toph bound him to a pillar of earth with metal bars. The Tyravian began to spill, "I tried to grab youse several times, but youse kept popping from here to zhere, causing so much chaos. First zhe drinks, zhen zhe tattoo parlor, and zhen vedding. After zhat, lost track of youse. Zhen I hear Prince Vu and Avatar are in town," he pointed to Korra and Wu, "and doing partying vith youse. Vaterboy and Dirt-girl seen in strip club," he then pointed to Sokka and Toph, "followed by Zhao to bar vhere others are, zhen you… ," Türahn turned to Leo, "you and Zhao got into fight, caused riot, and vent to hospital."

"What? I was in the hospital?" Leo perplexed.

"Haha," Sokka cackled at Leo, who whipped him with his tail in the back of the head in retaliation.

"Okay, what happened next?" Toph demanded.

"Nothing else I know. I svear," Türahn insisted. He was tired and severely beaten. He'd heal, but now he was too tired to fight.

"Well then," Leo turned to his human companions, nonchalant, "shall we wait for the authorities?"

"You don't know, do you?" Türahn gave one final laugh, "You don't know how many people last night you pissed off. How many on your trail, Leo the Han."

Leo had had enough of Türahn, so he punched him right in the throat. Türahn struggled for air. The local authorities came and took Türahn away, though they'd needed help throwing him in the back of their satomobile, the metal still wrapped around him. The group then resumed their walk back to the hotel.

Everyone was a little banged up, but Korra had been beaten pretty hard, and it only took a few hits. She most likely had a concussion and was going to have to wear a neck brace for a while. She also had a broken nose and a black eye. Korra was embarrassed that she, the Avatar, had been beaten by some monster playing street thug. For a moment it felt like she was fighting Zaheer again, and it took her three years to recover from that fight. She felt frustrated for getting caught off guard so easily, but she mostly felt concerned.

"You sure you're okay?" Korra heard. She looked up and saw it was the tall lizard man in the hood.

"I'll be fine," Korra insisted.

"Your heart says otherwise," Leo pointed out, "From your heartbeat, you're feeling embarrassed, frustrated, I imagine with yourself, and concerned."

Korra snapped her head in his direction, astonished at how spot on he was, "How'd you do that? You're not an earthbender too, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I just got good ears," he answered.

"Leo, was it?" Korra asked his name, only vaguely remembering him from the night before. She and Asami had gotten a little drunk, but apparently not as bad as these three.

"Yeah, and you're Avatar Korra, master of all elements. I've heard about you," Leo replied.

"Yep, that's me: the powerful Avatar," Korra said sarcastically about herself.

"Korra, relax. That guy got the jump on all of us," Asami assured, detecting the tone in Korra's voice.

"Your friend's right, he did, especially on me. I wasn't paying attention and I got tossed around like a rag doll. Another thing, Tyravians are built much tougher than humans, and they fight hard and dirty."

Korra gave a small smile, "Thanks. He did use a few dick moves, there."

"Well, he is a dickhead," Leo added, causing Korra to laugh.

The group made it to the hotel and to the room where Sokka, Toph and Leo had woken up that morning. When Korra, Asami and Wu walked in and saw the state of the place, Korra and Asami's jaws dropped and their eyes grew wide. Wu laughed at what a time they must've had wrecking the place.

"Spirits," Asami uttered.

"What… the fuck?" Korra blurted.

Wu laughed so hard he had to hold his gut, "You guys must've been whacked out of your minds. I almost wish I could've been here."

"Your dog's in the bathroom down the hall," Sokka told them.

Korra and Asami opened the bathroom door and out popped Naga's head, her tongue all over Korra's face, happy to see her master.

"Hey, girl. Easy, I missed you too," Korra wrapped her arms around Naga's head.

"Who's there?" a groggy, yet familiar voice coming from the tub groaned.

"Aang, could you check who that is?" accompanied another voice, also groggy and familiar.

"No way," Sokka uttered out loud from down the hall. He rushed into the bathroom, past the girls and the dog, and found his sister and Aang in their underwear, spooning in a makeshift bed in the tub. Leo and Toph soon followed and they all had a little reunion.

"Katara, are you okay?" Sokka asked, filled with relief yet still concerned his sister might be hurt.

"What? Sokka?" Katara cracked her eyes open and looked up to see her brother kneeling over her, "Sokka, I don't care if you found me and Aang sharing a bed. I'm too tired to deal with you right now. And honestly, I'm not feeling so hot, so please just fuck off."

Yep, Katara was alright, just hungover; and so was Aang. Everyone except Sokka laughed at Katara's words.

"Haha. Wow, I think I like hungover Sugarqueen," Toph chuckled, her arms crossed in amusement.

"Does is help that you always look hot, Sweetie?" Aang whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. An even bigger uproar of laughter erupted, causing the two in the tub to look up and over the edge. After a moment of looking around at everyone with squinted eyes, Aang inquired, "Where are we?"

"You're in my personal suite, which I can see you hard a lot of fun trashing," Wu interjected, then his eyes grew wide in realization, his smile gone, "Oh, fuck me. I'm gonna have to pay for all the damages, aren't I?"

"Sokka, what's going on? Why am I so hungover?" Katara asked her brother.

"That's what happens when you drink too much, honey," Toph bluntly stated, shit-eating grin on her face.

"Alright, that's enough. Could everyone just please get out and let me have a talk with my sister… and Aang," Sokka urged everyone out, "Leo, wait. Could you whip up some food for them?"

Leo nodded, "Sure."


	10. Hangover: Staying Together

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter X

Korra, Asami and Wu left with Naga as Sokka told Aang and Katara everything that happened the night before, except for the wedding; he figured if they didn't know about it, it never happened. The two came out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, where a plate and a cup of tea was fixed for each of them.

"Hope your Air Nomad diet doesn't prohibit eggs," Leo said to Aang as he and Katara sat down next to each other.

"No, eggs are fine," Aang groggily replied. He almost immediately felt relief with a sip of tea.

Katara swallowed a bit and took a sip and sighed, "Oh Spirits, that feels so good," she rubbed her head and asked, "So what else happened last night?"

"Not-" Sokka began, but was interrupted by Toph, "You two got hitched."

"WHAT!?" Aang and Katara's heads both shot up in unison.

"No. No. No, nothing else happened. Toph's just joking," Sokka attempted.

"Oh, will you shut up, Sokka?" Toph erupted at Sokka, growing tired of him trying to keep the truth from his sister and friend for their sakes, so that they could get married 'properly', "We can't forget what we found out about last night. There's no hiding or denying it, so it's best to face it head on. And besides, Katara's a grown woman and doesn't need you to be her bodyguard, she has a husband for that now," she motioned to Aang.

"What?" Aang and Katara repeated together. Leo took out the album that Chong had given them and passed it to them. They opened it and gasped at what they saw, Leo smiled at them, "Congratulations, guys. You got married."

The couple's jaws had dropped and their eyes wide open. The looked at each other and the album. Aang then saw on Katara's neck was indeed the betrothal necklace he'd been working on for months. Katara opened the book and together they went through it, looking at all the photos yet not remembering when any of them were taken. Sokka gave Katara away, Toph was the maid of honor, and Leo was the best man. Aang noticed how they all seemed a bit disoriented, but he and Katara were both happy nonetheless.

Aang then heard a sniffle from Katara, a few tears welled up in her eyes and her hand covering her mouth. Leo, Sokka and Toph left the two in the kitchen, giving them some privacy. Aang was shocked by the revelation, but more than that he wished he could've remembered, if not the whole thing, at least one moment of the the wedding. However, Aang wondered what Katara was thinking and feeling. He was worried that she might be upset; for what reason: maybe it wasn't the wedding she wanted, or it wasn't time for them to get married, or Katara didn't really see Aang as more than a boyfriend and didn't see herself spending the rest of her life with him. Tears began streaming down her face. Aang was reluctant but took the risk and lifted her chin, their eyes meeting, "Katara… are you okay?"

For a moment, Katara said nothing, causing Aang's concern to grow. Katara turned to look at the photos again and saw one of Aang carrying her bridal-style, a big dorky smile on his face with her arms wrapped around his neck, nuzzling his face, a warm and content smile upon her own. Katara then turned back to Aang and threw her arms around him, bawling over his shoulder. Her eyes burst like a fountain as she held onto him. Aang was relieved and eagerly returned the hug. Katara sniffed and managed to mutter, "Aang, were you really going to ask me?"

Aang then let her go and held her face in his hands, "Of course I was, Katara. You're all I really want in this world. I'd even carved you a necklace."

Katara felt around her neck and realized she was wearing one. She undid the strap in the back and held it in her hand. The pendent was the same color as her mother's, but the carving was the yin and yang symbol, but instead of white and black, it had an autumn red pearl and a blue one circling each other; she knew the red pearl was too bright to be Fire Nation red, it was for the Air Nomads, the color of their new wing suits. It was a simple design, but Katara thought it was beautiful. She ran her hand over it, "You made this for me?"

"Yeah, I did," Aang told her.

"Did you ask my father?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course I did. I'd never disrespect your family," Aang assured her. He held her hands in his own.

"When did you ask him?"

"Two months ago."

"Oh Aang," Katara again embraced Aang in a tight hug, and he reciprocated, "I just wish we could remember it."

"Me too, Sweetie. Me too," Aang held her as she continued to cry on his shoulder.

Honestly, Katara did see herself spending the rest of her life with Aang, and after the first two years of dating she began to wonder if he'd propose, hoping that he would. Katara knew that Aang was the one for her. Sure, she had one or two casual boyfriends for a short while when she was younger, but none of them were serious. Aang was the first, and really the only, serious boyfriend she'd ever had, and he was a dream: he was very respectful and honorable to her and everyone in her family, and Katara was fortunate that her dad liked him. What she loved about Aang was that he always tried to be good to people, but was ready to stand up for others, and he told her he loved her every day.

"But promise me one thing," Katara said as her crying came to an end.

"What is it?" Aang asked.

"Promise me that we can have a ceremony that we actually remember," she answered, causing them to laugh together.

Aang let go and held cradled her cheeks, wiped the rest of her tears away, and looked her in the eye, "I promise. We can even have your dad and the rest of your family there."

"Thank you, Aang."

"Anything for my wife," Aang and Katara both laughed again. She then brought his lips to meet hers in a passionate, tender kiss.

While Aang and Katara talked in the kitchen, Sokka had a thought and turned to Leo and Toph, chiding them, "Why didn't you guys sense those two in the bathroom this morning when we were looking for them?"

"We were hungover, Sokka. Someone with heightened senses whose hungover can't exactly process the overwhelming waves of data very well," Leo answered.

"Yeah, it was like walking on sand," Toph added.

-oOo-

After finding Aang and Katara, the group went back to the White Lotus building. The Lotus members were relieved that the missing apprentice and airbender were found. They gathered their supplies by the large stable in the courtyard and began loading it onto Appa. Momo sprung from his place on Appa's head and onto Aang's shoulder. The lemur happily chirped as his master scratched behind his ears. Appa gave a warm groan in greeting his owner as well.

"Well, they're awfully glad to see you," Katara grabbed her new husband's arm, "Guess what, Momo: Aang and I are married, now," Katara flashed her necklace to Momo and the lemur switched to her shoulder.

"That's right, Momo. Meet the new Mrs. Katara Tiankong," Aang motioned to his wife.

"Hey, can you guys wait to revel in the fact you're now married 'til we get back to the ship, and give us a hand over here?" Sokka complained out loud, Aang and Katara being to only ones not loading anything onto the bison.

The couple then helped load the rest onto Appa and were about to take off when one of the White Lotus member rushed to them with what appeared to be a bag of luggage, holding it out to them, "Wait, you forgot this."

None of them recognized the bag as Katara replied, "But that's not ours."

"It was left for you by Prince Wu. He said it belonged to you," the Lotus told them. Aang turned to Katara next to him on Appa's head, and she in turn just shrugged her shoulders.

"Thank you. And next time you see the prince, please extend our gratitude," Aang used his airbending to lift it up into the saddle, accepting the gift.

"Great, now can we please get the fuck out of this shithole of a city?" Toph impatiently groaned from the saddle. With that, Appa smacked his tail on the ground and off he flew into the sky.

"Now I know why the guys were so eager to get out of Vegas in that movie," Leo humorously uttered.

"What're you talking about?" Sokka queried, his eyebrow raised.

"Oh, it's nothing," Leo dropped it.

Aang and Katara crawled into the saddle, and Toph quizzed them, "Sooo, you guys are gonna stay married?"

"Of course, Toph. I've known for awhile now that Aang is the man I wanna spend the rest of my life with," Katara bubbled to her.

"And you don't think that last night was a mistake?"

"Toph, I'm just glad I'm married, and that it's to the man I love," Katara insisted, "I've honestly been waiting for him to propose for half a year."

"Toph, you know I've been meaning to ask her. I asked you to hold onto the necklace for me when she moved in with me a week ago," Aang reminded her, reaching over and grasping his wife's hand.

"Did you even ask for our father's blessing?" Sokka inquired, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed.

"Yeah, two months ago," Aang answered.

"Well, congratulations, you two. Congratulations," Leo cheered as he patted Aang on the shoulder.

"Leo, are your ears pierced?" Aang saw the alien's ears. Leo's cheerful expression vanished as he narrowed his eyes.

Leo heard Sokka give a soft chuckle across the saddle before he added, "Yeah. Why don't 'cha ask Sokka what he got pierced?"

The couple turned to Katara's brother as he denied, "Nothing."

"His nipples," Toph told them, wearing a shit-eating grin. He stared daggers at her as Aang and Katara broke out into a fit of laughter, Leo and Toph soon joined in.

"I was shitfaced, okay? We all were!" Sokka reminded them, then tried to change the subject, "Why don't we see what's in Wu's bag of mystery?"

"Sure, why not, Snoozles?" Toph wiped away a tears from laughing so hard.

Aang grabbed the zipper opened it up. He, Katara and Sokka gasped in amazement at what was inside.

"What? What is it?" Leo questioned, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, don't leave us in the dark," Toph put in.

"It's money," Sokka marveled as he looked through the entire bag, "So much money."


	11. Conversations In-between

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar or Korra characters created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and owned by Nickelodeon. All OCs, however, are all mine.

Chapter XI

Fushin Yao sipped his tea as he finished signing paychecks for his workers in the shipyard. It was payday and all the workers were eager to go home to their families, money in their pockets; even if it was meager, it was something. Fushin was eager to go home as well, his wife waiting for him with dinner cooked and their children gathered at the door to greet him. Fushin smiled as he dreamt of what a wonderful evening he would have with his family; him and many of his workers.

As Fushin was finishing his work, the door to his office opened and in walked three tall shadowy figures in cloaks. He could see two of them were armed, one with a whip and the other with a pair of sais. The third one in the middle was unarmed, but he was wearing the same style of armor as his companions.

"Excuse me, who are you and what do you think you're doing just waltzing into my office?" Fushin demanded as he stood up from his desk at the intrusion.

"I am Sun Wukong and these are my comrades. We're just here to ask you a couple of questions, if that's alright," the one in the middle kindly replied in a rough voice, "Has anyone, not one of your usual clients, made port in your shipyard over the past few days?"

"That is none of your business. Our policy prevents us from divulging any information about our clients to anyone outside the domain of our company. And honestly, you three just seem far too suspicious for my taste, so I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," Fushin firmly explained to them, pointing to the door, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go home to my family."

The figures didn't answer him, silent for a moment. The one with the sais switched the lights off and locked the door as the one carrying the whip grabbed the kettle from Fushin's personal stove. Wukong reached into his pockets and took out some brass knuckles, came up to Fushin's desk. He reached across and yanked Fushin out of his chair, growling in his face like an animal, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Fushin received a hard punch to the nose, sending him back in his chair. He screamed as steaming hot water was poured on him. His hand was grabbed and held onto the desk, only to be impaled by a knife, nailing him to it.

"I'll ask again, and this time you'd better answer: has anyone, other than your usual clients, passed through here in the past couple of days?" Wukong asked again, this time without manners or kindness. This wasn't a mere question, it was a demand.

Fushin gave up what information he had, "Alright, alright… Two White Lotuses, and Air Nomad, and a metalbender docked their ship here three days ago and left with it the next day."

"Was there anyone else?" the Wukong demanded.

"I don't know," Fushin croaked in fear and pain.

Wukong dealt another blow to Fushin's face and the knife in his hand was removed. The whip wrapped around his throat and flipped him onto the desk. He squealed as he was nailed to the desk again with the pair of sais in his arms. He screamed some more when more scalding water war poured onto him.

"Was… there… anyone… else?" Wukong repeated slowly, angry and impatient.

"Yes! Yes, I remember, now," Fushin screamed, "There was another. A spirit with red skin wearing a blue hood."

"Where did they go?"

"Omashu, to get supplies," Fushin groaned.

Wukong socked him in the jaw, knocking out a few teeth, and roared furiously, "I meant when they left. Which way did they go when they left with their ship?"

"Northwest!" Fushin gave up, "It looked like they were headed northwest. That's all I know, I swear!"

"Good," kindness returned to Wukong's voice, his manners returned as well, "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

The sais were taken out of Fushin's arms, freeing him. He just laid there on his desk, wallowing in the pain inflicted upon him.

The Wukong's cronies exited the office, but he stayed behind. As Fushin just stayed there, laying on his desk, Wukong drew something with cylinder at the end of it from beneath his cloak and aimed it at his head.

-oOo-

" Fifty billion yuans… Fifty billion," Sokka exulted as he chewed his food, "Can you believe it?"

"Sokka, can you please not talk with your mouth full?" Katara mildly nagged her brother as they all sat at the dinner table in the galley; Sokka at the head of the table, Aang and Katara sitting on one side together, and Toph across from them.

"I know, it's unbelievable," Aang grinned at Sokka's excitement, "I can't believe it's only half of what we won."

"What should we spend it on?" Toph excitedly asked, "A night on the town?"

"I'd like a new ship," Sokka put in.

"Why would we need a new ship? The one we have is perfectly fine," Katara questioned.

"Have you seen this thing, sister? It's too dull and too slow. I've always preferred ships with sails," Sokka replied.

"And the deck isn't big enough," Toph added.

"What are ya talkin' about? There's plenty of room on the main deck," Aang told her.

"Sure, but there'd be more if Appa wasn't hogging it up all the time," Toph countered.

"Guys, we don't need a new ship," Katara sternly insisted.

"Then how about a night on the town?" Toph then went back to her choice.

"How about we do nothing with it, except buy necessities for when we need them," Katara suggested.

Toph blew a raspberry at her, "Boring. Why don't we just donate it all to an orphanage?" she said sarcastically.

"That would actually be a good idea," Aang put in his two cents.

"Aw, Sweetie," Katara gave him a kiss on the cheek. She couldn't help but adore her husband's charitable and generous nature.

Sokka and Toph just stared at him for a moment. Finally Sokka uttered, "Really?"

"What? There are a lot of kids in Republic City on the streets, and a lot of orphanages that need funding," Aang defended his answer.

Momo flew to Aang's shoulder and Aang gave him a peach slice. Katara then added, "As great as it would be to do something fun and extravagant, or something charitable with the money, I think we're in a position where we need a resource like this at our disposal, and we need to use it wisely."

Toph blew another raspberry at Katara, "Once again, boring."

"Well, we can't do anything that'll draw attention to ourselves. We're on the run," Katara reminded them, "We did that in Omashu, and look at what happened: I can't even remember my own wedding, Sokka," she directed at her brother.

"And let's not forget the only reason we're still alive is because of Leo," Aang reminded.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no. We're the ones on the run because some killers from an alien kingdom want us dead because, apparently, we know too much," Sokka demurred, referring to the four of them, then pointed up at the ceiling, "He is the hitchhiker who still thinks we're giving him a ride to Ba Sing Se." Leo was currently up on the roof of the bridge, alone.

"How are we gettin' to Ba Sing Se, anyway?" Toph cut in.

"WHAT?" Sokka burst out loud in disbelief right next to her, earning him a solid jab to the shoulder from the petite earthbender.

"Not so close, Loud-mouth," Toph retorted, then nonchalantly explained her reasoning, "And besides, we already solved the pirate case: it was those psychos that killed that whole village. I say we got nothing better to do, so let's go."

"And don't forget that I said I'd get Leo to the city, and I'm not breaking that promise," Aang firmly told his new brother-in-law.

"And I'm going with Aang," Katara added, wrapping her arm around Aang's, "He's my husband now and where he goes, I go."

Sokka crossed his arms, stubborn in his decision. Aang then tried to reason with him, "Sokka, the people Leo's told us about are hunting us, we know that much. They ambushed us at the village, stalked us in Omashu, and openly attacked you guys the following day. This is an enemy we know nothing about, and is too strong for us to fend off on our own. Even if we do just drop him off somewhere, they'll still come after us. We need him just as much as he needs us."

"Arrrgh, fine," Sokka huffed, sour at being outvoted and conceded, "So what's the plan?"

"We were waiting until after Omashu to bring you two into this conversation," Katara told them.

"Either we travel by air on Appa, or we go by sea along the coast, up the Hei Bai river, then up the Zhang Tze until we dock at Canglong and go on Appa from there," Aang explained.

Sokka scratched his chin, thinking of it all in his head, "Hm, not too bad. Not bad at all, Aang," Sokka patted him on the shoulder, impressed with how much Aang had picked up from Sokka on navigating over the years.

"Thanks," Aang replied. Katara smiled at the two getting along.

"I say we get there on Appa; he may be smelly, but he's faster than a boat," Toph cast her vote.

"Ship, Toph. It's a ship," Sokka corrected her.

"Whatever," Toph said.

"I say we take Appa, too. It'll be just like old times," Katara reminisced when she and Aang started dating and he'd sneak into her tent whenever they made camp, "What about you, Aang?"

"What do you think? Of course I say Appa," Aang playfully nuzzled her, giving her a kiss on her head.

"Alright, alright. Settle down," Sokka urged them to stop, then sighed as he put in, "The sooner we get this mess over with, the better. Appa it is."

"How does Leo vote?" Toph wondered.

"He hasn't, really. He's the one who suggested we wait for you guys," Katara told them.

"Hm… well, that was… thoughtful of him," Sokka admitted slowly.

"I'll go tell him what we've decided," Aang volunteered as he got up from the table.

"Aang, I'm gonna finish up and meet you back at our room, okay?" Katara told him.

"Sure thing, Sweetie," Aang replied as he wiped off his plate and put it in the sink, "See ya in a bit."

Right when Aang left, Toph blatantly asked, "So have you guys had sex yet?"

"TOPH!" Katara hissed out loud.

-oOo-

Leo took a deep breath as he sat on the roof of the bridge, praying and meditating, "Bless me, dear Graethos, and bless these people, who rescued me, have given me shelter and a place at their table. They are good people who're generous in nature. I pray that you'll keep us safe as we're hunted by the serpents in the garden. Blessed Graethos, please keep my family safe, my wife and children, as I find my way back to them. Let them know that I love them. I ask for your mercy and forgiveness. In the name of your son, Solomon, I pray. Amen," Leo finished and made the sign of the cross.

"I didn't know you were religious," Aang said, hoping not to startle him. Truthfully, Leo had already sensed Aang's presence.

"I don't consider it being religious, but rather spiritual," Leo commented.

"What's the difference?" Aang asked, curious.

"Religion is worshiping God your way. Spirituality is worshiping God according to his instructions," Leo explained.

"God?" Aang grew more curious.

"God, Graethos, Buddha, whoever you pray to and whatever you call him," Leo reiterated.

"Oh," Aang said, able to understand the gist of it. Leo seemed very intelligent, and wise, yet still so young; probably only a few years older than him. Aang liked the way Leo explained things: in simple terms, describing the core of such reason.

"Come on, join me for a moment," Leo invited, patting the spot next to him. Aang climbed up and crossed his legs next to him.

"So, what else are you doing up here?" Aang asked.

"I just needed some fresh air," Leo said, then took his turn to ask a question, "So, what about you? What brings you up here this time of night?"

"We've all decided how to get to Ba Sing Se: we're gonna take Appa," Aang finally relayed.

"Ah, okay. So we'll be able to get there faster."

"Yep," Aang then thought of a question he'd never thought to ask until now, "What's so important about this sword of yours, anyway?"

Leo just smiled as he explained, "It's made from the strongest metal in the known universe: aeternium. The metal gets its name from an ancient root that means 'eternal', because it is eternal in its strength, shape, and condition; it never breaks, dents, dulls, or rusts, forever strong and forever sharp. A skilled warrior with such a weapon can easily defeat entire armies, and if such a weapon were to fall into the wrong hands… well, you know."

"They'd cause a lot of harm," Aang picked up as he saw where Leo was going with that.

"Exactly. Also, it has a bit of sentimental value to me. You remember when I told you about the night I changed into… this?" Leo referred to what he was and Aang nodded, "My sifu gave it to me shortly after. It's one of the few things I have left of him."

"What happened to him?" Aang was a bit cautious to ask, but Leo came across as a relaxed and open person to him.

"... He was killed," Leo soft answered.

"I'm sorry," Aang replied.

"It's okay," Leo accepted his sympathy, then changed the subject, "So… how does it feel being married?" Leo inquired.

"It feels good, real good," Aang happily replied, then thought to ask something he was nervous about, and he suspected Leo knew about, "Um, Leo? You're married, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Katara and I haven't… well, we haven't… yet-" Aang stumbled nervously, but Leo caught on to what was trying to say.

"You and Katara haven't… sealed the deal yet, have you?"

"No."

"Okay, have you and Katara talked about this?" Leo inquired.

"Yeah."

"Alright, that's good. You gotta communicate with your partner about this stuff," Leo told him, "Other than that, just relax, get lost in each other and have fun."

"Wow. Really it's that simple?" Aang asked.

"No, but I think it's best if you figure out the other stuff on your own. This journey is between you and your wife…" Leo patted him on the shoulder.

-oOo-

Katara waited in her room for Aang. She was hoping that tonight would be the night; their first time. She wanted this to be perfect. But still Katara was a bit apprehensive. She'd heard that a woman's first time was accompanied by some initial pain. Regardless of that, she still wanted this. She was Aang's wife now, and she wanted him to make her his, and him hers. She loved him.

Instead of her regular gown, Katara was wearing a short night dress with thin noodle straps. She hoped Aang would like it. She lit a couple of candles and incense around the room to help set a romantic vibe.

She sat on the bed hugging her knees to her chest, anxious. The door opened and Aang came in, his eye instantly fixed on her, his cheeks growing red, "Woah."

"Hey," Katara stood up as she welcomed him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "What'd he say?"

Aang shook himself out of his trance before he answered, "Uh… he-he said he votes to go on Appa."

"Oh, well that's good," Katara replied, rubbing her hair nervously, "So, um… do you wanna-"

She was interrupted when Aang closed the distance between them and brought her lips to his. Stunned at first, Katara eased into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt Aang snake his arms around her back. She smiled, moaning into the kissed at her husband's tender touch.

Aang broke off and whispered in Katara's ear, "You look beautiful… you're always beautiful."

"And you're always… so amazing," Katara was overwhelmed with him. He was always so sweet, attentive, and supportive. There were so many reasons why she loved Aang, but one of the main reasons was how caring he was; not just towards her, but to everyone. Everywhere he went, he just wanted to help people and make sure they were alright, help them heal, in any way, shape, or form; like water.

Aang leaned towards the bed and fell onto it, pulling Katara with him, bringing her to giggle. She straddled him, held his hands down, entwined her fingers with his his and leaned down to kiss her husband. She moaned against his lips and started to slowly move her hips back and forth against his groin. Suddenly, he held her hips still, causing her to end their kiss, "What? What's wrong?"

Aang cradled her face in his hand and brought her forehead against his, "We don't have to do this right away. We can wait until you're ready."

"But I don't want to wait," Katara insisted, "I'm ready now."

"Then if you insist, let's get lost in each other," Aang slyly smiled as he lifted the night dress over her head; she raised her arms to make it easier. They resumed their passion and forgot the world around them.

-oOo-

Sokka walked down the hall to the deck with his breakfast in hand. Toph was eating in the galley and he didn't want to bother her. Ever since they'd found themselves in the same bed, and naked, and hungover, Sokka didn't know how to act around Toph anymore. He'd always thought she was pretty, but she'd been more like a pal to him than a potential partner. So, he figured he'd eat his breakfast outside on the deck this morning.

Sokka predicted that Momo would take something from his meal, so he brought a peach for the lemur; that way Momo would snatch something the Water Tribesmen didn't mind losing. He was surprised to find the lemur already munching on a piece of fruit. Next to him was their guest, eating a bowl of egg fried rice and a pair of stuffed pork buns. His hood was down, for once, so his face was more visible. Behind them was Appa, greeting Sokka with his usual grunt.

"Mornin' ta you too, big guy," Sokka replied with a yawn. Momo just sat there eating his fruit.

"Don't worry. He already took mine," Leo said, referring to the lemur and the fruit.

"You can have mine. I only brought it for him, anyway," Sokka tossed him his peach.

"Thanks."

Sokka sat across from Leo in front of the bison and began eating his breakfast. It must've been around six or seven in the morning. Leo pulled the peach apart and offered one half to Appa. The bison opened his mouth and Leo tossed it in.

"They seem to like you," Sokka stated plainly, making small talk.

"Yeah, I guess they do," Leo said, then inquired, "You feeling alright, Sokka?"

"Yeah sure, why wouldn't I be?" Sokka blurted, his voice unsteady. If that was his best attempt to hide how uncool he felt about a lot of things, he'd most certainly failed.

"Sokka, take it easy," Leo calmed him down, then just ripped the bandage off, "Is it Aang and Katara, or you and Toph?"

Sokka tensed at both. He gave a sigh of defeat, "Both."

"You wanna talk about it?" Leo offered, "Any of it?"

Sokka figured what the heck and started with the easier issue, "It's not that I don't trust Aang, I do trust him. If there's anyone I trust with my sister, it's him. I know he'd never do anything to her, and that he's strong enough to protect her. It's not that they're married that I got a problem with, it's just… you know… the way they did it…"

Leo nodded as he started to understand what Sokka was getting at before he continued, "I mean it Omashu?" Sokka uttered the word with disgust and disbelief, "Of all the places in the world they could've gotten married, it ends up being the gambling capital of the world; one of the worst cesspools of crime and filth. Katara deserves something special, not cheap and quick," Sokka paused again, "I don't know, maybe I'm just not ready to get over that my little sister isn't so little anymore."

Leo smiled at how much Sokka cared about his sister, "Maybe what matters to Katara isn't the wedding, but the marriage. A wedding is just one day, a marriage is the rest of your life. Besides, they can have a ceremony that they can actually remember later."

Sokka supposed that made sense, "Yeah, I guess you're right." He actually could imagine Katara saying something like how nice weddings are, but how being married is what truly matters, and how a wedding is just a ceremony that kicks off a married life, or something along those lines.

"What about you and Toph? You two… you know… talked about that yet?"

Sokka rolled his eyes at Leo's blunt questions, "No, we haven't. We've hardly even spoken to each other," before Leo could respond, Sokka kept on, "And honestly, I still don't know how I feel about it. I'm just tryin' to wrap my head around what happened. I don't know what to think, what to say, how to feel. I just… blah."

Leo understood this was something he didn't have an answer to. This was something Sokka had to figure out himself. Leo told him not to get too stressed about it and not to worry too much.

"Thanks," Sokka said.

"You're welcome," Leo replied, then blurted, "So, still can't believe you're sister's married?"

Sokka chuckled at the blunt humor, "Screw you, asshole."

"Oh, you think I'm an asshole? Wait 'til you meet my cousin-in-law, Dax," Leo gave his own laugh, challenged, "He is one of the biggest assholes you will ever meet. Not only does he have a short fuse and a big temper, he will curse you out and dominate you with a loud mouth spewing with profanity. His honesty is blunt, his sense of humor borders on cruel, and his style is simply aggressive."

"Woah, man. That really does sound like an asshole," Sokka almost didn't believe him, thinking that no person could possibly be that much of an asshole.

"One time he caught two subordinates sleeping with each other, but he only gave them a warning. However, it was laced with a threat. He told them, 'You so much as eyefuck another person on this ship, I will deport you two naked to the Obrachan'," Leo recited, almost unable to speak without struggling to maintain his words.

Sokka burst out laughing. Leo joined in, finally able to lose his composure. Once they finished their laughter, they went back to their breakfast. Sokka finished his first. Just as Leo was about to take the last bite, he sensed something off in the distance. He dropped his bowl and climbed to the roof of the bridge. Sokka was amazed at how fast he got there from the deck. Leo's ears flapped down, then up, down, then back up. He gave a few sniffs, then shouted down towards Sokka, "Get this thing moving, NOW!"

Sokka was startled by the sudden alarm. He rushed to the bridge, grabbed a pair of binoculars and glimpsed in the direction Leo had. He saw something coming at them, and fast.


End file.
